US Open Women’s Finals: Gauff the Underdog Against Soon-to-Be No. 1 Sabalenka
Gauff Is First American Teen In the US Open Women's Singles Finals Since Serena Williams
Sabalenka’s Comeback For the Ages Denied the US Open an All-American Final
Deep into the night, it looked like the US Open Women’s Finals would feature two Americans for the second time in the last 20 years.
The 19-year-old Coco Gauff punched her ticket to the finals with a straight-set win over Karolina Muchova and then Madison Keys looked to be on her way to her second US Open final.
No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka had other ideas as she rallied by winning tiebreakers in the second and third sets to reach her second Grand Slam final this year.
For the eighth time in the last nine years, a player will win the US Open women’s title for the first time, with the lone exception coming when Naomi Osaka won the titles in 2018 and 2020.
Sabalenka is priced at -120 to win the US Open title, with Gauff coming in at +100.
Sabalenka was priced at +350 to win the tournament, second only to defending champion Iga Swiatek, before the first ball was struck. Gauff came in at +500 in the pre-tournament title odds.
Sabalenka is 50-10 this year with three titles with Gauff 44-13, and she has also won three singles titles.
The title match is set at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Gauff Following In Serena’s Footsteps
Before Gauff made her way into Saturday’s final, the last teenager from the U.S. to play in the US Open Women’s Tennis final was Serena Williams when she lost to her sister Venus in the 2021 final.
Gauff lost her first set in the tournament to qualifier Laura Siegemund and also dropped the opening set to Elise Mertens.
Gauff has finished strong in the three matches when she was extended to three sets and dropped one game in the third set in back-to-back wins over Mertens and Caroline Wozniacki.
Jelena Ostapenko, who stunned top-seeded and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round, was no match for Gauff in the semifinals, winning 6-0, 6-2 in her most routine match in the tournament.
Gauff had never been past the quarterfinals in her previous four US Open appearances, and now she is in her second Grand Slam final.
Moving to the Top
Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Sabalenka will be the No. 1 ranked player when the new WTA rankings come out. She has never reached the No. 1 ranking before.
She has earned the top spot after reaching at least the semifinals in all four Grand Slams this season.
Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title before losing in the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Sabalenka lost a total of 21 games while winning each of her first matches in straight sets.
It looked like her run would end in the semifinals when the hard-hitting Madison Keys won the opening set 6-0 and had chances to close the match out in the second and third sets.
The 0-6, 7-6, 7-6 match definitely played with the emotions of those partaking in live betting.
Sabalenka vs Gauff Head to Head
Regarding the WTA scores, Sabalenka won the last meeting 6-4, 6-0 in the 2022 quarterfinal at Indian Wells after Gauff had won the previous two matchups.
Gauff leads Sabalenka 3-2, with Gauff also holding the 2-1 edge in three-set matches.
What’s At Stake
Gauff is eyeing her first Grand Slam title, and it would be quite an accomplishment since she doesn’t turn 20 until March 13.
After knocking on the door in previous years, Sabalenka goes after her second major championship in 2023.
With the WTA tournament schedule getting a bit light after the US Open, Sabalenka figures to be the No. 1 player heading into the WTA Tour Finals.
What To Look For
Gauff won 69 games and Sabalenka 68 in the five previous matchups so they might be out there for a while.
Gauff has won a higher percentage of the points on her first serve while Sabalenka has more aces (26-22) and more double faults (39-35).
During this tournament, Gauff has been on the court for nearly three more hours than Sabalenka. Sabalenka has eight more aces and a better winning percentage when she serves. Gauff does have the edge in break-point opportunities.
Sabalenka is the favorite, but Gauff has looked like a major champion in her last couple of matches and could be the better pick to win as the underdog.
For WTA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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