With a whole lot on the line, Round 2 of Group B at the WTA Finals pits World No. 2 Iga Swiatek against World No. 3 Coco Gauff. This will be an exciting contest as Swiatek's commanding 11-1 record over Gauff so far will be put to task. Their last meeting at the 2024 French Open was a clinical 6-2, 6-4 victory for Swiatek as she extended her winning streak over the young American to four matches. Gauff comes into this match with a newfound resolve following a convincing win over Jessica Pegula and is keen to turn the tide against her Polish rival.
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Both Swiatek and Gauff come into Round 2 in great form, having negotiated tricky opening matches. Swiatek came back from a set down to beat Barbora Krejcikova, showing her resilience and tactical depth. She compiled impressive stats: 10 aces and six converted break points sealed the win. Meanwhile, Gauff sailed past Pegula in straight sets, dominating with her serve and on return of serve, high. With both players possessing strengths suited to fast surfaces, it could be Swiatek's heavy topspin forehand and experience that make all the difference.
Swiatek is likely to fall back on her diverse baseline game: intermingling her topspin-heavy forehand with precision backhand shots to unsettle the game of Gauff. Deep, high-bouncing shots that pin her opponent, Gauff, behind the baseline will be utilized, while specifically targeting Gauff's forehand in order to expose some inconsistency. The improved serve will also feature for Swiatek in establishing easy holds without going into too much prolongation.
She'll need to bank on her excellent return game and counterpunching to Swiatek's depth. The key will be for Gauff to take the front foot going for aggressive returns and truncating the points to avoid getting caught in the Swiatek rhythm. Serving consistently well-especially that first serve coming in at 68% against Pegula-will also be important as a means of preventing Swiatek from taking control of the match.
Expert Betting Tips
Leading their head-to-head series, Swiatek is the form player coming into this and has a good chance of taking this match. Her ability to nullify a lot of Gauff's power with depth and spin makes her a favorite here, while a good success rate at break points backs up that notion as well. I predict a straight-set win for Swiatek, but she's likely to be pushed to at least one close set from Gauff.
Given that Swiatek struggled in her first round recently and how Gauff has improved, this match might have several tight games as both players try to capitalize on their serve. This is likely to extend a set or two and push the total games beyond the 20.5 mark.
Swiatek has often made quick starts, particularly when up against her immediate opponent, Gauff. The winning of the first set will give her a psychological advantage. I do feel Swiatek will be very aggressive right from the word go, trying to get hold of the game from the very beginning.
- Iga Swiatek (-1.5) Games Handicap @ 1.6 Odds
- Iga Swiatek Wins First Set & Match @ 1.73 Odds
- Total 2 Sets @ 1.61 Odds
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