Coco Gauff hasn't had the best time Down Under in the past, but she hopes this year proves differently.
The last Grand Slam played was won by Coco Gauff, and the American would certainly like to add another one. It's a goal for her, and she looks determined to see it through. Auckland was a good week for her as she successfully defended her trophy from last year.
Some of the matches were better than others, but Gauff stepped up and delivered when she needed to. The final against Elina Svitolina demonstrated that well, and that's why she started her preparation back in November.
Now, her first-round opponent in Melbourne will be Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova, a solid player but also an ideal matchup for Gauff.
Head-to-head:
First of all, Schmiedlova never played well in Australia and never advanced past the second round. Second of all, she's lost both matches she played against Gauff and easily so. The first one came at the 2022 Madrid Open, and Gauff won 6-0 6-2, with the second one coming last year at Roland Garros.
Gauff won that match 7-5 and 6-2, and as you can see, neither match was particularly close. There is a reason for that, and it's mostly because of the styles they play. Schmiedlova likes to attack and play from the baseline, but she's not the most consistent with it.
As a speedy player who covers the court well, Gauff thrives against baseliners who are not consistent. She just needs to make sure that many balls fly back and wait for the mistakes.
Prediction:
With that being said, I don't see a way Gauff will lose this match. Hard courts are certainly not the Slovakian's favourite surface, and she's going to struggle to keep the ball in play. Expect Gauff to cruise in two here.
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in two sets.
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