Citi Open 2023: Coco Gauff vs Belinda Bencic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (6) Belinda Bencic
Date: August 4, 2023
Tournament: Citi Open 2023
Round: Quarterfinal
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 Belinda Bencic preview
Teen star Coco Gauff will face off against World No. 15 Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Citi Open on Friday.
Following a first-round bye, Gauff was up against qualifier and fellow American Hailey Baptiste. The first set was quite one-sided, with the teenager dropping just one game en route to claiming it.
Baptiste was able to keep up with Gauff in the second set but was unable to put her in a bothersome spot. The latter reeled off three games in a row to go 5-3 up and wrapped up the proceedings soon after that to win 6-1, 6-4.
Bencic moved into the second round following a mid-match retirement by Anastasia Potapova. She faced qualifier Lauren Davis for a spot in the last eight. The Swiss dished out a breadstick to her opponent to capture the first set.
Bencic nabbed the decisive break in the seventh game of the second set to go 4-3 up. She solidified her lead with a service hold to make it 5-3. Following a hold of serve from Davis, the 26-year-old served out the match to win 6-1, 6-4.
Coco Gauff vs Belinda Bencic head-to-head
Bencic leads Gauff 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2021 Adelaide International in three sets.
Coco Gauff vs Belinda Bencic odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Belinda Bencic prediction
Both players won with identical scorelines in the second round. Gauff's forehand didn't leak too many errors, and the teenager also served pretty well. Davis had given Bencic some trouble in the past, but this time the Swiss was in control of the proceedings right off the bat.
Gauff's record against top 20 players this season is 3-5, with the same stat being 8-19 since the start of 2022. The teenager often struggles to figure out higher ranked players. Bencic likes to take the ball on the rise and on the relatively fast courts in Washington, which could leave the American youngster scrambling.
Bencic has also shined at the WTA 500 level this season, winning two titles at that tier along with a runner-up finish. Gauff is quite the fighter, and with their previous encounter going to three sets, history could repeat itself, including a win for the Swiss.
Pick: Belinda Bencic to win in three sets.