Match Details
Fixture: (1) Caroline Garcia vs (3) Donna Vekic
Tournament: Monterrey Open 2023
Round: Finals
Venue: Club Sonoma, Monterrey, Mexico
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $259,303
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Caroline Garcia vs Donna Vekic preview
Two big strikers of the tennis ball — Caroline Garcia and Donna Vekic — will square off for the title at the 2023 Monterrey Open on Sunday.
Garcia, the top seed at this year's tournament, came into the competition after a disappointing run in the Middle East. She suffered early exits at both Doha and Dubai, losing against Maria Sakkari and Madison Keys.
The French player, however, has rediscovered some of her best form on the South American hardcourts — racing to the summit clash without the loss of a single set. These included wins over the likes of Kaja Juvan, Mayar Sherif and Elise Mertens.
Vekic, meanwhile, has battled her way into the final. Having survived a scare in the opening round against Lesia Tsurenko — who was forced to retire after leading by a set — the Croat eased past Emma Navarro. She followed it up with tough wins over Ysaline Bonaventure and Lin Zhu.
While she has had successful runs in Melbourne and Linz, the Croat is still awaiting her first title since the Courmayeur Ladies Open in 2021. She will be keen to get over the finish line in Sunday's final.
Caroline Garcia vs Donna Vekic head-to-head
Vekic leads Garcia in their current head-to-head by a slender 5-4 margin. The Croat has also taken the duo's last two meetings, the latest of which came at the 2021 Olympics.
CarolinJe Garcia vs Donna Vekic odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Caroline Garcia vs Donna Vekic prediction
Coming off a career-best season in 2022, Caroline Garcia hasn't been at her best in 2023. Against a familiar foe in the form of Donna Vekic, the French player faces a tough final opponent.
Both Garcia and Vekic employ similarly power-packed games and this is reflected in their head-to-head record. Most of the duo's meetings have gone the distance and given their recent run of form, we could be heading for another close finish.
Garcia's big first serve and aggressive returns have seen her enjoy a lot of success in the recent past. Vekic, however, enjoys playing against pace and is a master at redirecting it back at her opponents.
The battle-hardened Croat will come into the final with nothing to lose and if she can continue to swing freely, she could well be on the way to ending her title drought.
Pick: Vekic to win in three sets