Simon Dalton shares his prediction for the WTA Berlin match.
Following her victory at the French Open, Coco Gauff swiftly returned to the court, beginning her preparations for Wimbledon with the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin. She faces a rapid transition from clay to grass, with her first opponent being Xinyu Wang, who successfully navigated the qualifiers and already pulled off a surprise victory in the first round.
Xinyu Wang
World No. 49 Xinyu Wang has been through three tough matches over the past few days. In the qualifiers, she narrowly defeated TaliaGibson and Ons Jabeur, before confidently overcoming Daria Kasatkina (6:3, 6:2) in the main draw. However, this result is more indicative of her opponents' poor form rather than Wang's clear advantage. This season, she has lost to players outside the top 50, including Kimberly Birrell, Kamilla Rakhimova, Maria Sakkari, and Victoria Mboko. In a match against world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, Wang managed to win only three games.
Coco Gauff
World No. 2 Coco Gauff is in peak form. Her triumph at the French Open marked a turning point in her career, but now her focus is entirely on the grass season. Since 2023, she has secured nine wins in 14 matches on this surface. In Berlin, Gauff has reached at least the round of 16 for the third consecutive year. She has faced Xinyu Wang twice before, including once on grass in Berlin, where Gauff defeated Xinyu Wang (6:0, 6:4).
Xinyu Wang vs Coco Gauff Prediction
The difference in class and current form is evident. Coco Gauff is showcasing one of the best stretches of her career and reached the semi-finals in Berlin last season. Xinyu Wang is unlikely to pose a significant challenge. Gauff is expected to win by at least five games.
