Tatjana María vs Caroline Garcia Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Stuttgart Open

Prediction published on 19/04/2023, 05:37  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 19/04/2023 at 06:46 in Tennis Predictions

Carolina Garcia begins her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix campaign. The fourth seed faces unseeded Tatjana Maria in the second round with the winner possibly facing fith seeded Coco Gauff in the last eight of this indoor clay court tournament. Garcia is fifth in the latest world ranking list but up a place to fourth in the live rankings. That's the highest she can reach this week even if winning the tournament. The 29-year-old is playing in her first clay court event of the year but is at home on this surface. Three WTA Tour clay court titles have been won in the past and the quarter finals reached at Roland Garros. Garcia has lost in two hard court finals this year and is 11th in the WTA Live Race.

Tatjana Maria has never beaten Caroline Garcia in two previous matches. Both went to a final set, one was on grass and the last match they had was eight years ago. A lot has changed since then for both players. The 35-year-old was ranked 71st at the start of this Porsche Tennis Grand Prix but 32nd in the Live WTA Race. Maria had a struggle in the first round and had to go to a final set to get past qualifier Yiena In-Albon. After winning the opening set for the loss of just two games, Albon fought back to level the match. Maria then needed a third set tie-break to reach this second round. That's taken her up to 65th in the live rankings. The German is looking to build on winning a clay court tournament in Colombia earlier this week but no top 100 players were beaten. Before that she reached a quarter final in a Mexican clay court event. This year has also seen her win an ITF tournament but she's yet to beat a top 60 ranked player this year. Garcia can be backed to win this.