Italian Open 2023: Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Fixture: (6) Coco Gauff vs (27) Marie Bouzkova.
Date: May 13, 2023.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: Third Round (Round of 32).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €3,572,618.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova preview
Coco Gauff and Marie Bouzkova are set to clash in the third round of the 2023 Italian Open on Saturday.
Following a first-round bye, Gauff was up against Yulia Putintseva in the second round. The teenager dominated the opening set as she went on to claim it without dropping a single game.
Putintseva briefly halted Gauff's momentum by holding serve at the start of the second set. The American teenager went on another six-game run after that to win the match 6-0, 6-1.
Bouzkova faced Caty McNally in the second round here. The Czech was off to a slow start as she fell behind 4-0 in the first set. The opener almost got away from her, but she fought back instead.
Bouzkova bagged the next six games to clinch the set. She broke McNally's serve twice in the second set as she took a commanding 5-2 lead. Now serving for the match, the American put up some resistance by securing a break of serve.
Bouzkova didn't let things spiral out of control. She broke McNally's serve in the following game to wrap up a 6-4, 6-3 victory. She has now made it to the third round of the Italian Open for the first time.
Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova head-to-head
Bouzkova leads Gauff 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter after the teenager was forced to retire midway through their first round contest at the 2022 Western & Southern Open.
Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova prediction
Gauff barely broke a sweat to oust Putintseva, while Bouzkova recovered quite well after an early stumble to take control of the reins to knock out McNally. The teenager managed to get just 44% of her first serves in play, a number that'll need to increase as she goes deep into the tournament.
Their last encounter was left incomplete as an injury forced Gauff to call it quits. She wasn't at her best that day, so this essentially will be her first proper go at Bouzkova. The Czech is a tough nut to crack as she often thrives in close matches, relishing the challenge of digging herself out of tough spots.
Bouzkova, like most players, will be aiming to target Gauff's forehand. However, the slow conditions here do allow the American youngster to stabilize the shot and not leak as many errors. Her athleticism also gives her the upper hand in this match-up.
Gauff is yet to win consecutive matches in singles on clay this season, and against a tough opponent like Bouzkova, she'll need to raise her level. Expect the teenager to survive a tough challenge from the Czech to make it to the next round.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.