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Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (4) Maria Sakkari
Date: August 6, 2023
Tournament: Citi Open 2023
Round: Final
Venue: Washington D.C., United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $780,637
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN
Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari preview
Home favorite Coco Gauff will square off against World No. 9 Maria Sakkari for the 2023 Citi Open title on Sunday.
Gauff moved past Hailey Baptiste and Belinda Bencic in straight sets to set up a semifinal showdown against defending champion Liudmila Samsonova. The teenager was off to a fast start as she jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
Samsonova had a chance to level the score, but Gauff's excellent defense saw her remain in front until the end of the set to take it. The young American went up an early break in the second set as well to lead 3-1.
Gauff saved multiple break points on her next couple of service games to defend her lead. With Samsonova serving to stay in the match at 5-3, the American broke her serve once again to win the match 6-3, 6-3.
Sakkari knocked out former US Open finalists Leyleh Fernandez and Madison Keys to reach the last four. She was up against top seed Jessica Pegula for a spot in the championship round.
Sakkari dictated the play in the first set and broke her opponent's serve twice to claim it. She was on the cusp of victory as she led 4-1 in the second set, but Pegula bagged the next five games to capture the set.
Sakkari regrouped rather quickly and played much better in the deciding set. She swept the last four games of the match to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and reach her first final of the season.
Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari head-to-head
Sakkari leads Gauff 4-1 in the head-to-head. The Greek won their previous encounter at the 2022 Italian Open in straight sets.
Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari prediction
Sakkari was cruising to victory when her semifinal demons came back to haunt her, but she managed to vanquish them this time. She had lost all six of her semifinal bouts this season, but she raised her level to defeat Pegula to snap her losing streak at the stage.
Gauff has played really well all week and hasn't dropped a set. She didn't lose her serve even once in the previous round against Samsonova. However, her losing record against Sakkari is a matter of concern. The teenager has lost four matches against the Greek in straight sets while winning one in three sets.
Sakkari has better control of her forehand compared to Gauff, which has helped her to dominate this rivalry. Gauff's forehand has held up relatively well this week, while other aspects of her game have worked even better.
Both are now gunning to win the biggest title of their careers. Gauff has a better record in finals, winning three titles from her previous four. Sakkari, on the other hand, has won just one title across the seven finals she has contested.
Given how Gauff has played this week, it wouldn't be surprising to see her finally get the better of the Greek. However, Sakkari has shown that she's able to handle everything the teenager throws at her. The 28-year-old has a slightly better shot at laying her hands on the winner's trophy on Sunday.
Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.
