Match Details
Fixture: (4) Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek
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Date: August 22, 2026
Tournament: Cincinnati Open
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $7,433,076
Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN
Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek preview
Fourth seed Coco Gauff will take on Sara Bejlek in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open 2026.
After a first-round bye, Gauff staged a comeback to beat Liudmila Samsonova in the second round. She beat 28th seed Ann Li 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the third round, and tallied a 6-3, 6-2 win over 22nd seed Marie Bouzkova in the fourth round. She faced 10th seed Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
Both sets played out in an identical manner. Gauff built a double break lead in each set, and then Kostyuk snagged a break towards the end of the set. Gauff broke back immediately in the final game of each set to score a 6-2, 6-2 win.
Bejlek beat compatriots Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets, and then rallied from a set down to upset 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round. She knocked out World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to book a quarterfinal showdown against 20th seed Madison Keys.
A 3-0 headstart in the first set laid the groundwork for Keys to eventually capture the opener. Bejlek landed the first blow in the second set to go up a break but soon surrendered her lead. However, she broke Keys’ serve in the 10th game of the set to take it.
Bejlek was in the driver’s seat thanks to a quick 3-0 lead in the third set. Keys had other plans, and dug deep to get back into the match. The set eventually went to a tie-break, in which Bejlek came out on top to register a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory.
Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek odds
(Odds via BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek prediction
Since dropping the first set against Samsonova, Gauff has played incredibly well. She has now reached her fifth semifinal at the WTA 1000 level this year, the most she has in a single season. She previously won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 in the lead-up to her triumph at the US Open. She has a 38-13 record this year, and has posted a 23-7 record on hardcourts.
Bejlek has dealt with a murderer’s row of opponents to reach her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal. She scored her first win over a top 10 player by beating the top-ranked Sabalenka in the fourth round. She has compiled a 20-15 record at the main draw level this season, and has a 17-6 record on hardcourts.
Bejlek is a swift mover around the court, just like Gauff. However, Gauff has the upper hand in other areas. Her serve and forehand appear quite stable in recent weeks, aside from the occasional blip.
Gauff also has a 21-5 record against left-handed players, and a 20-4 record against players younger than her. Bejlek, who’s both left-handed and two years younger than the American, will need to be at her absolute best for this. Gauff will be the firm favorite to reach her third WTA 1000 final of the season.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in straight sets.
Coco Gauff vs Sara Bejlek betting tips
Tip 1: The match will have at least 20 games.
Tip 2: Gauff to win at least one set with a score of 6-4.
Edited by Rohit
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