Preview
Coco Gauff has yet to drop a set at the Italian Open after defeating fellow American Madison Brengle in two sets on Wednesday, following up an impressive win over Angelique Kerber. The 18-year-old is a pro on clay, having reached the semi-finals here last season before losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek. Gauff carried that form into a second WTA title at the Emilia-Romagna Open before reaching the Roland-Garros quarter-finals, her best Grand Slam performance to date.
On clay, the American is still trying to find her best form. Gauff was unable to advance past the second round in Stuttgart, where she was defeated 6-4, 6-2 by Daria Kasatkina. In the Madrid Open, the youngster came back stronger. She played excellent tennis, defeating World No. 40 Yulia Putintseva in the second round 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 before losing 6-4, 6-4 to Simona Halep. Gauff will be looking to build on her success in Madrid, where she defeated Angelique Kerber in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. She also defeated Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the third round, where she will face World No. 4 Maria Sakkari.
On Wednesday, world number four Maria Sakkari easily defeated in-form Ekaterina Alexandrova to begin her Italian Open campaign. The fourth seed has struggled to make an impression in recent tournaments, failing to win back-to-back matches since finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek in March at Indian Wells. Sakkari, 26, defeated Swiatek in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros last season before losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Sakkari advanced to the third round of the Stuttgart Open but was forced to retire due to illness and was unable to finish her match. Sakkari returned to the tour quickly, however, with an impressive first-round victory over Madison Keys at the Madrid Open. Daria Kasatkina stopped Sakkari’s run in Madrid, coming back from a set down and defeating him 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
When is Sakkari vs Gauff?
- Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
- Time: 9:00 am ET
Location:
- Venue: Grand Stand Arena, Italy, Rome
- Capacity: 8000
The Sakkari vs Gauff match will occur at the Grand Stand Arena. The venue can host up to 8000 people.
Read Also: Swiatek vs Azarenka: preview, How to watch, head-to-head, prediction, odds
Match Details
- Match: (15) Coco Gauff vs (4) Maria Sakkari
- Round: Round of 16
- Venue: Grand Stand Arena, Rome, Italy
- Surface: Clay
- Prize Money:€2,527,250
- Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Sakkari vs Gauff head-to-head
Sakkari 3: 1 Gauff
How to watch Sakkari vs Gauff ?
- USA: For USA residents, Tennis Channel will broadcast live the Sakkari vs Gauff match. You can watch the game live on their official website.
- UK: UK viewers can watch the action unfold live on Amazon Prime Video.
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Canada: Canadians can watch Sakkari vs Gauff action live on DAZN, TSN, and Rogers Sportsnet.
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Australia: Fans from Australia can watch the live broadcast on beIN Sports.
Odds:
Moneyline:
- Coco Gauff: -138
- Maria Sakkari: +131
Handicap Bets:
- Coco Gauff: -5.5 (-385)
- Maria Sakkari : +4.5 (-360)
Total Games:
- Coco Gauff: Over 21.5 (-114)
- Maria Sakkari: Under 21.5 (-112)
*All odds sourced from BetMGM
Sakkari vs Gauff Prediction:
Coco Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari in three sets in the second round of the Italian Open last season, but the Greek has won three of their four meetings in recent years, making this a likely thriller. Sakkari beat Gauff in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open on her preferred hardcourt back in February, but Gauff is quickly becoming one of the top clay players on tour, and backing the American to win at least a set seems like a sensible move here in leaving the winner up to chance.
Sakkari is a slight favorite to win the tournament. Gauff is 2022 and has a 14-9 record, while Sakkari has an 18-8 record. On clay, the American is 4-2 with a 2-2 record, while the Greek is 2-2. Sakkari advanced to the final of the Indian Wells Masters, where she was defeated by eventual winner Iga Swiatek. In the semifinals of the Qatar Open, she was defeated by the same opponent.
Those of you who have been following my predictions will have a sneaking suspicion of where this is going. However, I have reason to believe Maria Sakkari will win this race. Throughout their four meetings, the Greek has only dropped on set to Coco Gauff once. In the final round, she completely destroyed an in-form Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Gauff, on the other hand, won their matchup here last year and will be confident. Gauff is a serious talent, and if both of these players play to their full potential, this should be a fantastic match. Sakkari is the more polished of the two, and she has demonstrated in recent months that she has what it takes to advance far in major tournaments.
Prediction: Sakkari will win in 3 sets.
