Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Indian Wells

Prediction published on 15/03/2023, 06:17  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 15/03/2023 at 07:18 in Tennis Predictions

Second seeded Aryna Sabalenka faces sixth seed Coco Gauff in the Indian Wells quarter final. The winner of this match takes on either the seventh seed Maria Sakkari or 15th seeded Petra Kvitova in the last four. Sabalenka started this event second in the overall rankings but top of the WTA Race. This year has seen her win two tournaments, most notably of course the Australian Open, her maiden Grand Slam title. Her only loss this year has been in Dubai when losing in the quarter finals to eventual winner Barbora Krejcikova. At Indian Wells, the second seed has only had to play two matches as her scheduled last 32 opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew. That took her into the fourth round where Sabalenka got revenge on Krejcikova but had to go to three sets (middle set lost) to do so and reach her first Indian Wells quarter final.

Cori Gauff is also in the last eight at Indian Wells for the first time. The American started this tournament ranked sixth and remains in that position in the live rankings. In the WTA Live Race, Gauff is in seventh place. It's already been a big week for her having turned 19 on Monday. One title has been won this year with a success in Auckland in January. Since then the last 16 of the Australian Open was reached, a quarter final in Doha and in her last tournament, the semi-finals in Dubai. It's not been a tough route to the quarter finals for her. No seeds have been faced and two of her three opponents have been qualifiers. The last 16 saw her lose the middle set against Rebecca Peterson but recover to win the final set 6-1. Gauff has won three of her four previous matches against Sabalenka. The most recent was a three-set victory in Toronto last year and the one before that was in 2021 but was on clay in Rome. That win in Toronto in August 2022 is the last time she beat a top-ten ranked player. Sabalenka is in much better form now and can get the win here.