Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Coco Gauff
Barbora Krejcikova
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In the third round of the WTA Finals group stage, Coco Gauff will face Barbora Krejcikova. Here’s my prediction for this match—can the Czech player pull off an upset?
Coco Gauff
Although Gauff hasn’t had as strong a season as she might have hoped, she’s performing well at the Finals, winning both of her matches. In her first match, she defeated her compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2. She also overcame her challenging head-to-head against Iga Swiatek, taking advantage of Swiatek’s less dominant form this time to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
With a spot in the semifinals already guaranteed, Gauff’s focus is on securing first place in the group, which would allow her to avoid a likely matchup with the formidable Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. At 20 years old, Gauff is currently ranked third in the world.
Barbora Krejcikova
Although Krejcikova was considered an underdog in her group, she’s put up a strong showing. In her first match, she came close to beating Swiatek, leading 6-4, 3-0 before ultimately losing as Swiatek mounted a comeback.
In her second match, Krejcikova couldn’t afford to lose and managed a solid 6-3, 6-3 win over Pegula. To advance to the semifinals, Krejcikova needs a straight-sets victory over Gauff, though there are other scenarios where she could qualify with a win. At 28, Krejcikova is currently ranked 13th in the world.
Match Facts
- Gauff has won 33 of her 42 hard-court matches this season.
- Krejcikova has 8 wins in 16 hard-court matches.
- Odds for this match: Gauff 1.31, Krejcikova 3.6.
Head-to-Head
The players have met only once before, at the 2021 Roland Garros quarterfinals, where Krejcikova won in straight sets.
Prediction
This will be a challenging match, with both players motivated, though Krejcikova arguably has more at stake. Gauff is the favorite, which makes sense given her top form and position as group leader, but Krejcikova has been performing well too. I think a bet on the total over 20.5 games is likely to be successful.
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