Coco Gauff vs Simona Halep Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Mutua Madrid Open

Prediction published on 01/05/2022, 09:17  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 01/05/2022 at 10:43 in Tennis Predictions

Simona Halep has had her fair share of injury problems in recent years. Back fit now, she takes on 14th seeded Coco Gauff in the Madrid Masters third round. Halep began this tournament ranked 21st but has had wins over Zhang Shuai and then second seeded Paula Badosa. Halep won both those matches for the loss of only nine games. The former world number one has already won one tournament this year, the Melbourne Summer Set event in January The last 16 of the Australian Open was reached and then the semi-finals in Dubai. Another last four appearance came at Indian Wells, losing to Iga Swiatek (as everyone seems to do these days). On her way to the semi-final, Halep beat Gauff in straight sets. Halep has always been a threat on clay with one French Open title won and twice runner-up. Twice she has won this tournament (most recently in 2017) and overall has won nine WTA Tour clay court titles.

Cori Gauff is the world number 16 and is still only 18 years of age. The success of Emma Raducanu has rather overshadowed her progress. It's not been the greatest of years for her so far. The American reached the last four in Adelaide in January but her best performance since then has been a quarter final in Qatar. Her only WTA Tour clay court success was in the Emilia Romagna Open last year but she did get to the last eight at Roland Garros in 2021. So far this year on clay, Gauff has played the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and lost in the last 32. This tournament has gone better with wins over a first round win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and a three-set defeat of Yulia Putintseva, dropping the middle set. Halep has won both of her previous matches against Gauff without dropping a set. Go for her to get another win here.