Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will meet in what promises to be an epic semi-final match at the 2024 Wuhan Open.
The two semi-final protagonists in Wuhan have arguably been the two best WTA Tour players in the past few weeks. Sabalenka's case is undisputed, as she won the Cincinnati Open and the US Open and reached the quarter-final in Beijing.
Gauff, on the other hand, won the China Open and is currently on a nine-match winning streak. Of course, her struggles in the months prior have been well documented, but in the absence of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina during the Asian Swing, she certainly cemented her spot among the two best players at the moment, especially since she has yet to lose a match in China this year.
In Wuhan, Sabalenka bested Katerina Siniakova in the second round, Yulia Puntitseva in the third, and Magdalena Frech in the quarter-final to reach the tournament's semi-final.
Gauff easily outplayed Viktoriya Tomova, bested Marta Kostyuk, and outplayed Magda Linette in the quarter-final to reach the last four stages in Wuhan.
Sabalenka, who was the second of the two to finish her quarter-final match, was asked about Gauff as her upcoming opponent, highlighting her match plan for the semi-final.
"We had a lot of great, big matches, great fights. I'm really looking forward to always enjoying playing against her. I think the main thing is, once again, focus on myself, focus on my footwork, go to the net, finish the point over there."
"On this slow surface, you have to go there. You have to be brave enough and finish the point there. I think that's the main plan. It worked really well in our last meeting, so I'll just stick to the plan. I'll try to put as much pressure as possible on her."
Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff Head-to-head:
The two have met seven times before, and Gauff leads the H2H 4-3. She also won the most important match the two played, last year's US Open final, which the American player won 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Before that, they first met in Lexington in 2020, and the younger of the two was more successful in their first meeting. Sabalenka then leveled the H2H by winning their second match that year in Ostrava.
In 2021, they played only once, and it was also their only clay-court match. It was played at the Italian Open in Rome, and Gauff won 7-5, 6-3. They played only once in 2022 as well, and Gauff also won that match. It was played at the Canadian Open in Toronto.
They played twice last year. First, Sabalenka dominated at the Indian Wells Open, winning 6-4, 6-0, before Gauff's aforementioned win in the US Open final. They also met once this year, and Sabalenka won the semi-final clash at the Australian Open, 7-6(2), 6-4.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Coco Gauff | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | H2H | 4 |
| 2 | Rank | 4 |
| 26 | Age | 20 |
| 52-12 | 2024 W/L | 48-14 |
| 412-186 | Career W/L | 223-96 |
Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff Prediction:
Although Gauff has yet to lose a match in China this year and is on a nine-match winning streak, Sabalenka's recent form has been much more impressive, even though her most recent loss is more recent.
The Belarusian player won 18 of her last 19 matches, while her upcoming opponent lost four matches during the same period. Sabalenka is deservedly the higher-ranked player at the moment, and that's why she's the favorite to win, even though it wouldn't be surprising if Gauff won at least a set.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in three sets.
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