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Match details
Fixture: (4) Caroline Garcia vs (8) Belinda Bencic
Date: January 12, 2023
Tournament: Adelaide International 2
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Center, Adelaide, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $826,837
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Caroline Garcia vs Belinda Bencic preview
Fourth seed Caroline Garcia will take on eighth seed Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International 2 on Thursday.
Garcia had an excellent season in 2022, garnering 46 wins from 66 matches and winning titles at the Bad Homburg Open, Poland Open, Cincinnati Open and the WTA finals in Warsaw. She won her playoff tie against Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove while representing France at the Billie Jean King Cup, but the French were eventually eliminated in the qualifiers.
The World No. 4 continued her purple patch in the new 2023 season. She registered back-to-wins against Petra Martic and Nadia Podorosk while representing France once again at the United Cup. However, they were eliminated by Croatia as Adrian Mannarino bowed out to Borna Gojo in a must-win tie.
The 29-year-old began her campaign at the Adelaide International with a hard fought win against Katerina Siniakova. She defeated the Czech tennis player in a three-set tie 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Belinda Bencic, on the other hand, had a lively season in 2022, chalking up 42 wins from 60 matches and a title-winning run at the Charleston Open. She also finished runner-up at the Berlin Open and reached the semifinals at the Miami Open.
The Swiss is also showcasing high-quality tennis at the moment, winning four matches on the trot and helping Switzerland win their first ever Billie Jean King Cup. She began her 2023 season with a win against Yulia Putintseva but couldn't get the better of Iga Swiatek at the United Cup.
The 25-year-old quickly turned things around at the Adelaide International 2. She secured her place in the quarterfinals with straight set wins over Garbine Muguruza and Anna Kalinskaya. The 25-year-old defeated Kalinskya 6-3, 6-3.
Caroline Garcia vs Belinda Bencic head-to-head
Bencic leads the head-to-head against Garcia 1-0. She defeated her most recently at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-3.
Caroline Garcia vs Belinda Bencic odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM. (To be updated)
Caroline Garcia vs Belinda Bencic prediction
An engrossing contest is on the cards as two in-form players battle it out for a place in the semifinals of the Adelaide International 2. Garcia and Bencic have won seven out of their last eight matches and lost to the same opponent, who happens to be World No. 1, Iga Swiatek.
Garcia served well in her previous match, rocketing 14 aces and winning 70% of her first serve points. However, she still managed to drop her serve thrice after losing her concentration in the second set. Against an opponent like Bencic, the Frenchwoman will need to tighten up her game and not give the Swiss any chance of building momentum.
Bencic, on the other hand, has recorded competent wins against her opponents in the first two rounds. She won 77% of her first serve points against Kalinskaya in her previous match and saved five out of seven break points. The eighth seed is at her best when controlling rallies from the baseline and her accurate groundstrokes from the backhand wing seem to be doing the most damage to her opponents.
Garcia will be a slight favorite considering her ranking superiority and recent win at the WTA Finals. However, if Bencic finds a way to see off the early pressure and holds the upper hand in close rallies, she could cause an upset and secure her place in the last four.
Pick: Bencic to win in three sets.
