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Fixture: (6) Coco Gauff vs (26) Paula Badosa.
Date: April 29, 2023.
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2023.
Round: Third Round (Round of 32).
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €7,652,174.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa preview
World No. 6 Coco Gauff will take on home favorite Paula Badosa in the third round of the 2023 Madrid Open on Saturday.
Following a first-round bye, Gauff was up against qualifier Irene Burillo Escorihuela in the second round. The teenager fell behind 4-2 in the opening set, but cleaned up her act immediately. She bagged the next four games to clinch the set.
Gauff broke the Spaniard's serve twice in the second set as she raced to a 5-0 lead. Burillo Escorihuela finally managed to halt her opponent's momentum with a hold of serve, but it only delayed the inevitable. The American served out the match in the following game to win 6-4, 6-1.
Badosa, meanwhile, faced Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round. The Spaniard trailed 2-0 in the first set, but claimed six of the next seven games to capture the opener.
She was off to a solid start in the second set as well, jumping to a 3-1 lead. The momentum swung in Cocciaretto's favor after that. The Italian raised her level as she snagged five of the next six games to nab the set and take the match to a decider.
Both players were evenly matched in the third set and had multiple break point chances throughout the set. It was Badosa who eventually gained the upper hand.
With Cocciaretto serving to stay in the match at 5-4, the Spaniard broke her opponent's serve for the final time to win the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
Badosa leads Gauff 2-1 in the head-to-head. The former won their previous encounter at the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic in straight sets.
Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa prediction
Gauff overcame a slow start to oust Burillo Escorihuela. The teenager committed plenty of errors before she was able to find her footing. But once she took control of the match, she never let go of the reins.
Badosa, meanwhile, was put to the test by Cocciaretto, with the Spaniard surviving by the finest of margins. She will need to step up her game for her upcoming duel against Gauff.
Badosa started playing a little passively halfway through her last match, which allowed her opponent to make a comeback. She'll need to maintain a steady level of aggression against the American youngster.
Gauff, as usual, will need to be mindful of leaking errors from her forehand side. Her superior movement and athleticism always gives her an advantage on the surface.
This is likely to be a closely contested battle which could swing either way. Badosa has been in pretty decent form over the past couple of weeks, making consecutive quarterfinals on clay. Based on her results, the Spaniard has a slight edge in this match-up.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in three sets.
