The final of the Cymbiotika Guadalajara Open AKRON will be played today, Saturday, September 23, with Maria Sakkari and Caroline Dolehide battling it out for the WTA 1000 title. Here is our preview of the event.

Second seed Sakkari has been having a dream run at the Panamerican Tennis Center in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Greek player has had a difficult season, having been eliminated in the opening round of three out of four Grand Slams this year. Most recently, she was ousted by Rebeka Masarova 6-4, 6-4 in her first match at the US Open. 

Although she was visibly distraught after her defeat in New York and even considered taking a break from the sport, it now looks like Sakkari is back and achieving the results she has been wanting for a while. The World No. 9 is yet to drop a set at the tournament and looked impressive against third seed Caroline Garcia in the semi-final, dominating the match to defeat the World No. 11 6-3, 6-0.

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Dolehide aims for major breakthrough

Meanwhile, her opponent Dolehide is aiming for a major breakthrough by making this WTA 1000 event her first ever WTA singles title. The American is ranked outside of the Top 100 in the WTA Ranking at No. 111, although she is within the Top 50 in doubles.

The 25-year-old pulled off a surprise victory against her compatriot Sofia Kenin in the semi-final, defeating the 2020 Australian Open champion in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3. She has fought some more close-knit battles throughout the tournament as a whole, with each of her three sets against Peyton Stearns in the opening round going to a tiebreak.

She also fought back from a set down against Sachia Vickery and Martina Trevisan, the latter of which had ousted top seed Ons Jabeur earlier in the event.

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Sakkari and Dolehide's first meeting

This final will be Sakkari and Dolehide's first meeting, so it will be interesting to see how their abilities match up.

The Top-10-ranked player is likely to be better rested than her opponent, having played fewer sets and also having received a bye through to the Round of 32 as one of the tournament's highest seeds.

Moreover, Dolehide has also been playing doubles in Guadalajara, reaching the semi-final with partner Asia Muhammad. This was played yesterday, and the pair lost to Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter in straight sets. Meanwhile, Sakkari has been focussing solely on singles here.

Dolehide has shown her mental fortitude and determined ability to fight back, which could come in handy against her highly-ranked opponent. She may also try out some different tactics in an effort to throw off Sakkari's rhythm. However, the 28-year-old has had more experience and consistency at this level, and her solid baseline game combined with her powerful groundstrokes should see her take the title.

Prediction: Maria Sakkari to win in straight sets.

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The final is set! Maria Sakkari 🇬🇷 vs Caroline Dolehide 🇺🇸 #GDLOpenAKRONxSantander | @WTA

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