WTA Finals 2022 final: Caroline Garcia vs Aryna Sabalenka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (6) Caroline Garcia vs (7) Aryna Sabalenka.

Date: November 7, 2022.

Tournament: WTA Finals 2022.

Round: Final.

Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, United States.

Category: Year-ending championships.

Surface: Hardcourt.

Prize money: $5,000,000.

Match timing: Not before 8 pm local time, 9 pm ET, 2 am GMT and 7:30 am IST.

Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.

Caroline Garcia vs Aryna Sabalenka preview

Top-10 players Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka will face off in the championship round of the 2022 WTA Finals on Monday.

Garcia made it out of the group stage by defeating Coco Gauff and Daria Kasatkina while losing to Iga Swiatek. Her semifinal opponent was Maria Sakkari, who had won all three of her group ties in straight sets.

Garcia was the first to go up a break in the opening set as she led 3-1, but Sakkari broke back immediately to make it 3-2. However, the French player snagged another break to go 4-2 up and didn't squander her lead this time to clinch the set.

Garcia started the second set on a strong note as she broke her opponent's serve twice to lead 4-0. Sakkari was unable to claw her way back into the match as the 29-year-old went on to win 6-3, 6-2.

Sabalenka scored wins over Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula while losing to Sakkari in the round-robin stage. But it was enough to make the last four, where Swiatek awaited her. The 24-year-old had lost all four of their previous encounters this year heading into the contest.

Sabalenka faced a couple of break points in the very first game of the match but managed to hold serve. This was followed by three straight breaks of serve, with the Belarusian gaining the upper hand to lead 3-1. She broke her opponent's serve once again towards the end of the set to claim it.

Swiatek responded strongly in the second set, racing to a 4-0 lead. Sabalenka won the next couple of games to keep herself in contention, but the three-time Major champion bagged the next two to take the set.

The final set was surprisingly one-sided, with Sabalenka dropping just one game to win the match 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 and score her third win over a reigning No. 1 player.

Caroline Garcia vs Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head

The two have split their previous four meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 2-2. Garcia won their last encounter at the 2022 Western & Southern Open in three sets.

Caroline Garcia vs Aryna Sabalenka odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Caroline Garcia	+110	-1.5 (+220)	Over 21.5 (-130)
Aryna Sabalenka	-130	+1.5 (-350)	Under 21.5 (-110)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM.)

Caroline Garcia vs Aryna Sabalenka prediction

Both players are competing in the championship round of the WTA Finals for the first time and are gunning for the biggest title of their careers so far. Sabalenka was simply too good against Swiatek and held her nerve when the World No. 1 took the match to a decider.

The Belarusian frequently targeted her opponent's forehand, a tactic that worked well and her serve was quite effective for the most part. Garcia, on the other hand, scored a commanding win over Sakkari. Her execution was spot on — her serve, volleys, and groundstrokes were played to perfection.

Garcia is able to produce a bit more variety in her game despite taking the aggressive route like Sabalenka. Both can match each other shot for shot when it comes to baseline duels. The French player has shown more consistency, but her opponent is not one to go down without a fight.

This is a contest that could go down to the wire, though Garcia is more likely to come out on top in the end.

Pick: Caroline Garcia to win in three sets.