Charles Baus/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari: Indian Wells Masters – Semifinal

The highest-ranked American player Coco Gauff will take on Maria Sakkari in the Indian Wells semifinal.

Coco Gauff Profile

Coco Gauff is enjoying her career, with her highest ranking being No. 3 in the world. The 20-year-old is 16-3 for the season, with all of the matches being played on hard surfaces.

The American is coming off a 6-4, 6-3 win against Yue Yuan in the quarterfinals. Previously, she defeated Elsie Mertens, Lucia Bronzetti, and Clara Burel.

Gauff won the tournament in Auckland in the first week of the season. She made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Last year, Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. This is her fourth appearance at Indian Wells and the first time she has made it to the semis.

Maria Sakkari Profile

Maria Sakkari is ninth in the WTA rankings, with her career-high being third place. The Greek is 9-4 for the season, with all of her matches being played on hard surfaces.

Sakkari is coming off a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Emma Navarro in the quarterfinal. Previously in the tournament, she defeated Diane Perry, Caroline Garcia, and Diana Shnaider.

This is the first time this season that Sakkari has won more than two matches in the same tournament.

This is her eighth appearance in Indian Wells, and she made it to the final in 2022, where she lost to Iga Swiatek.

Head-to-Head Sakkari leads 4-3

• Gauff vs Sakkari 6-2, 6-4 (2023 Beijing, quarterfinal)
• Gauff vs Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 (2023 Washington, final)
• Sakkari vs Gauff 6-4, 7-5 (2022 Rome, round of 16)
• Sakkari vs Gauff 6-3, 6-3 (2022 Doha, quarterfinal)
• Gauff vs Sakkari 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 (2021 Rome, second round)
• Sakkari vs Gauff 7-5, 6-2 (2021 Abu Dhabi, second round)
• Sakkari vs Gauff 6-1, 6-3 (2020 Cincinnati, first round)

Prediction and Conclusion

Both players had some bumps in the road on their way to the semifinals. Gauff played a decisive tiebreak in the opening round, while Sakkari had to come back from a set down in the quarterfinals. They know each other pretty well since this will be their eighth match against each other. Sakkari is the better one in the head-to-head clashes, but Gauff has won the last two in straight sets. The American is a much better player at the moment, and she will continue her successful run with another straight-set victory.