Sakkari enters as the favorite, with Hibino’s recent dip in form and difficult record at this level working against her.
Sakkari Eyes A Return To The Last Eight
- Sakkari is looking for her third quarterfinal on tour this year.
- She has a 7-5 record against players outside the Top 100 this year.
- Hibino has failed to win multiple main-draw matches in 15 of her last 16 events.
- She has not defeated a Top 50 player since 2024.
HTH - Maria Sakkari leads 2-0
| Year | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Australian Open | 1R | Hard | Sakkari Maria | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 2020 | Australian Open | 2R | Hard | Sakkari Maria | 7-6, 6-4 |
Sakkari Searches For A Deeper Run In Singapore
Maria Sakkari advanced to the second round after defeating Linda Fruhvirtova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. She initially showed some struggles and trailed 1-3 before finding her rhythm and winning comfortably.
The 31-year-old has registered some confidence-boosting results by reaching the third round at Wimbledon and the final in Athens, but failed to build further momentum as she did not win multiple matches in her next three events during the North American swing.
She has played 17 events this year and registered multiple main-draw wins only four times, including the semifinals in Doha and the third round at Roland Garros. These results have kept her inside the top 50 in the rankings.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Greece |
| Age | Born 25 July 1995 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 33 |
| Career High | No. 3 (21 March 2022) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 36 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 2 |
Hibino Looks To Build On Her Three-Set Comeback
Nao Hibino eliminated Kristina Mladenovic in three tight sets to reach the second round in Singapore, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. She had an opportunity to close out the match in straight sets after leading 3-1 in the second, but was forced to play a decider, including coming back from a break deficit in the final set.
She will be relieved with the result this week, as she had played nine events on tour this year before this week and all of them had ended either in the qualifying stages or the first round.
She has reached 17 quarterfinals on tour in her career but has not registered multiple wins at this level since 2023. She is now looking to break that trend and reach the quarterfinals this week.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Age | Born 28 November 1994 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 190 |
| Career High | No. 56 (18 January 2016) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 222 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 3 |