Stuttgart Open 2023: Gauff vs Potapova Tennis Prediction and Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Stuttgart Open round of 16 match featuring Coco Gauff vs Anastasia Potapova on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Gauff vs Potapova Match Preview and Prediction

It’s a rematch of their Miami epic, but will Coco Gauff get one over Anastasia Potapova at the Stuttgart Open?

Coco Gauff nearly made a melee of her first match at the Stuttgart Open. Having led 6-2, 4-2, a couple of loose service games gave Veronika Kudermetova a route back into the match, forcing the pair into a deciding third-set break. Gauff though, asserted her dominance once again to pull away with the win. She’ll look to avenge her most recent loss in Miami when she faces Anastasia Potapova for a spot in the quarterfinal.

Anastasia Potapova, for her part, edged out Croatia’s Petra Martic in a third-set tiebreak to pick up her 16th win of the season. Potapova’s career-best season has seen her rise to World No. 24 – a career-high for the Russian. She’ll look to even the series against Coco Gauff when they square off on Thursday.

Gauff vs Potapova Prediction and Pick

Coco Gauff leads Anastasia Potapova 2-1 in their head-to-head. But it was Potapova who shocked the American in their most recent clash at the Miami Open, clawing her way back from 6-7, 3-5 down to win in three sets. Gauff remains without a coach this clay swing after the abrupt split with Diego Moyano. But she’s improved by leaps and bounds on clay while the Argentine was in charge. Potapova has played 15 three-set matches this year, which is the most on Tour, a testament to her stamina and endurance. But at the same time, her decision-making is very questionable at times. I like Gauff’s chances here. If she can sort out the mental scars from their last head-to-head meeting, she won’t miss a lot.