In a tournament that was meant to hail the return of Serena Williams, it is her heir apparent that has the chance to crown herself WTA Parma champion in the final. Coco Gauff has won before, in Linz in 2019, but this will feel like a weight lifted from her (still) young shoulders. It will not be easy against a good, experienced professional in Wang, so let’s take a good look into the future and assess the final.
WTA Parma Final Prediction
Coco Gauff vs Qiang Wang
Head-to-Head Record: First meeting
This match will be on Gauff’s racket. If the American teenager can gain control of the rallies in the first three strokes more often than not then she will win this match. The ability is there for her to do it as well, we know very well of the power that Gauff can generate on both serve and groundstrokes when she times the ball. However, the reason that Gauff hasn’t won for two years is that she doesn’t always time it very well.
Wang Qiang is a multiple-time champion on the WTA Tour and definitely no pushover for Gauff. This has been an unexpectedly good run from the Chinese former #12, though. Clay is not a surface that Wang would usually succeed upon. Also, her form has been disappointing for a good while following her stellar 2019 season. Wang actually still has a losing record on tour on clay, at 28-29, though she seems to have taken to the Parma clay very nicely this week.
Statistically speaking, there isn’t much to split the pair over the week. Gauff has held serve slightly more often, but Wang has broken serve slightly more often. Gauff is still more likely than not to double fault in a service game as well; it must frustrate her greatly giving a point away in her service games so often. Nevertheless, I am predicting Gauff to land her second title in Parma. I expect a wobble, so it may well go to three sets, but the American’s power game will decide this match.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
