Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Wimbledon match.
The second round of Wimbledon offers a compelling clash as former world number three Maria Sakkari looks to snap her losing streak against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Rybakina leads the head-to-head 4-1, but Sakkari appears to be rediscovering her form, while the Kazakh star no longer seems quite so invincible.
Maria Sakkari
Sakkari came through her opener against Anna Blinkova but struggled with her first serve, landing just 53% of them. Even so, she's been consistently competitive — covering the +5.5 game spread in 14 of her last 15 matches. While the Greek hasn’t returned to her peak, she’s become more resilient, managing to push even top-tier opponents. Against Rybakina, she’s forced a battle in most meetings, with four of their five encounters featuring 22 games or more.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina made a strong start at SW19 by dispatching Elina Avanesyan (6:2, 6:1), but a first-serve percentage of just 46% raised eyebrows. Her game remains dangerous on grass, but recent form is mixed — in five of her last six matches, she hasn’t won by more than four games. The aggression is still there, but her control seems to be wavering.
Maria Sakkari vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
Sakkari should turn this into a contest and won’t go down easily. Expect her to stay within the handicap line and make Rybakina work for every point.
