Some of the third-round action at the 2023 WTA Stuttgart Open will see Donna Vekic take on Karolina Pliskova and Coco Gauff go up against Anastasia Potapova. Get the live streaming options along with the predictions, preview and head-to-head for these matches along with Beatriz Haddad Maia v Elena Rybakina match.
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Donna Vekic v Karolina Pliskova Preview
The two ladies have quite a bit of rivalry going on, with this Stuttgart match set to be their 9th encounter on tour. Pliskova leads 6-2, but she did lose to Vekic when they last met in San Diego in 2022.
The Czech started strong in the tournament by dismissing the eighth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3. It was a commanding display of skills and experience from the former #1, who is on a path to rediscovering herself after battling with injuries last season. Her record stands at a respectable 17-7 in 2023, supported by her quarterfinal feats in the Australian Open and WTA Dubai.
Vekic, meanwhile, defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in her opening fixture 7-6(7), 7-6(5) after battling through an intense match. With that, she has upped her tally for the year to 16-4 – which includes a title from the Monterrey Open (her first trophy since October 2021) and a final-eight appearance in the Melbourne Slam.
While Donna has a fair bit of experience against the top 10 players, things may not be that easy for her on clay courts. She did lose to Pliskova in their sole meeting on the surface in the French Open 2021 in straight sets.
Vekic v Pliskova Tip
This match can go either way. Pliskova’s superior experience and overall record do give her an advantage here, but Vekic is coming off a good start herself. Expect a tight encounter.
Three sets in the match: 6/4 (bet365)
Coco Gauff v Anastasia Potapova Preview
Gauff and Potapova have met thrice in their career; the American leads 2-1 at the moment. They most recently met in the Miami Open last month, where Potapova upset Gauff in three sets.
Despite that, the current world number six remains a definite threat in Stuttgart. She sent a strong message in her opening match with Veronika Kudermetova, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3), to improve her record for the season to an impressive 17-5. Gauff has also bagged a little over $1 million in prize money, courtesy of her title run in Auckland and late-stage appearances in Dubai and Indian Wells.
Even on the doubles side, Coco has been phenomenal as she won the Qatar Open and Miami Open with Jessica Pegula. Add to this her clay-court prowess – which includes her current French Open runner-up feat – you can see why she is the player to beat.
Nonetheless, Anastasia Potapova is not a player to back down easily. She played Petra Martic in the opener and survived 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) in two and a half hours.
With this, the 22-year-old Russian has improved her tally to 16-8 and looks poised to move up further in the rankings from her career-best position of #24. It has been a superb season for Potapova, who reached the quarterfinal in Lyon and Miami Open most recently and won the title in the Linz Open.
Compared to Gauff, she may not have had that great of a senior career yet, but she can cause all sorts of problems. She has two clay finals to her name – singles and doubles – while as a junior, she is a two-time French Open doubles finalist.
Gauff v Potapova Tip
Gauff is the odds-on favourite here, but it is not likely to be an easy match for her. Expect plenty of games in the offing.
Over 21.5 games: 5/6 (bet365)
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Beatriz Haddad Maia v Elena Rybakina Preview
Maia leads 1-0 in the head-to-head tally, handing Rybakina a rare 2023 defeat in the Abu Dhabi quarterfinal in three sets.
The Brazilian has had a good start to the season, seeing she is now 13-8. Her best result came in Abu Dhabi, where she reached the semis, alongside quarterfinal stints in Adelaide and Doha. In the Miami Open and Indian Wells most recently, Beatriz did succumb in the mid-rounds to Jelena Ostapenko and Emma Raducanu.
She made up for it, however, in Stuttgart with a comfortable start. Playing Martina Trevisan, she took the lead 7-5, 1-1 when the Italian retired from the match, citing fitness concerns. It was not the most clinical start from Maia, but a win is a win.
Rybakina, meanwhile, dismissed Jule Niemeier 7-5, 6-3, to kickstart her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix campaign. That win has improved her year-to-date record to 22-5.
The Kazakh has been in a menacing form this season. She has three huge finals to her name already – Australian Open, Miami Open, and Indian Wells – going the distance in the last. In this process, Elena has beaten several notable players like Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, and Victoria Azarenka.
The world number seven, who is also the current Wimbledon champion, has proven herself to be a formidable adversary this season. The question is can she continue the same form on clay?
Maia v Rybakina Tip
Having beaten Rybakina once already, Maia will be confident of her chances. Add to this the dynamics of clay courts, where Beatriz has fared far better historically than Rybakina, the situation becomes more in favour of the Brazilian.
That said, Elena is an entirely different league altogether – and perhaps, that can ignite the fire needed to navigate the red track. Expect a thrilling affair.
Over 21.5 games: 5/6 (bet365)
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The 2023 Stuttgart Open will be played from April 17-23. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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