Alexandrova and Sakkari Face Off in Bad Homburg Showdown

Bad Homburg, Germany — Eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova will take on wild card Maria Sakkari in the second round of the Bad Homburg Open on Wednesday. This matchup comes after Alexandrova’s powerful opening round, where she defeated Belinda Bencic with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Sakkari also had a successful first match, overcoming Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, with a close second-set tiebreak.

Both players are in contrasting form this season. The 29-year-old Greek has struggled with consistency, recording a win-loss record of 15-18 for 2025. In comparison, Alexandrova has shown moments of brilliance, including titles and semifinal appearances, bringing her record this season to 24-12.

Alexandrova’s journey this year has been eventful, highlighted by a title at the WTA 500 event in Linz and reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros before falling to eventual champion Coco Gauff. Her ability to serve has been notable, totaling 157 aces this year with a first-serve win percentage of 68.2%.

Sakkari, meanwhile, has failed to break past the Round of 16 in any tournament this year and faced early eliminations at several events, including disappointing losses in Berlin and ’s-Hertogenbosch after an initial victory against Putintseva in Bad Homburg.

Historically, Sakkari leads their head-to-head record with 6 wins to Alexandrova’s 1. However, Alexandrova’s sole victory happened due to a retirement on the part of Sakkari during the 2021 Kremlin Cup semifinals, casting a shadow on their matchups.

This matchup promises to be intriguing, featuring varying styles of play on grass. Despite Sakkari’s past dominance in their rivalry, Alexandrova’s current form makes her the favorite entering the clash, boasting betting odds of 3/10 compared to Sakkari’s 5/2.

As they prepare for their encounter, both players will look to capitalize on their strengths and each will strive for momentum moving forward in the tournament.