Citi Open 2023: Coco Gauff vs Liudmila Samsonova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (8) Liudmila Samsonova
Date: August 5, 2023
Tournament: Citi Open 2023
Round: Semifinal
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 Liudmila Samsonova preview
World No. 7 Coco Gauff will face off against defending champion Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals of the 2023 Citi Open on Saturday.
Gauff defeated fellow American Hailey Baptiste to make it to the last eight, where she was up against Belinda Bencic. She was all over her opponent in the first set, conceding just one game to claim the opener.
Gauff continued to run away with the match as an early break of serve put her 2-0 up in the second set. Bencic showed some signs of a fight by taking the next couple of games to level the score. However, the teenager took control of the contest once again as she bagged the next four games to win the match 6-1, 6-2.
Samsonova kicked off her title defense with a straight sets victory over former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins. She eased past Sorana Cirstea as well to set up a quarterfinal showdown against Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk led 2-0 in the first set, but Samsonova fought back to level the score. The latter then snagged another break of serve to capture the set. The second set was more routine, with the defending champion overcoming minor stumbles to break her opponent's serve thrice and win the match 6-4, 6-2.
Coco Gauff vs Liudmila Samsonova head-to-head
Gauff leads Samsonova 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2021 Charleston Open in three sets.
Coco Gauff vs Liudmila Samonova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction
Gauff played at a pretty high level to get past a strong opponent like Bencic. While she lost her serve twice, she struck back immediately and even took the lead after that. The teenager's serving stats were decent, but it was her athleticism and backhand that carried her through the match.
Gauff's forehand didn't break down either, which was in part due to Bencic not putting enough pressure on that wing. Samsonova wrapped up another straight-sets win by ousting Kostyuk. It was the defending champion's eighth consecutive win at the venue.
Both Gauff's and Samsonova's previous matches went the distance. With a stark contrast in playing styles, each showcases their unique strengths as the back and forth between them brings out their best.
Samsonova's powerful ballstriking has been unable to break down Gauff's defenses so far. The vocal home crowd boosted the teenager's spirit in the previous round as they helped her raise her level even more. This could be another close fight between them, with the young American being favored to come out on top.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.