Coco Gauff is back on the tennis courts, and she'll face Katerina Siniakova in her opening match at the 2024 Qatar Open in Doha.
The 2024 WTA season started very well for Gauff, who successfully defended her Auckland trophy. The Australian Open wasn't as good as she had hoped, but it was a really good showing, as the 19-year-old made it to the semifinals.
She's the only player that eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka faced and had problems with. The rest of the field was easy to overcome for the Belarusian, but Gauff served for the first set against her.
Her opponent in Doha hasn't had the same type of year, but she has been honestly fairly decent. The Czech player bested Donna Vekic in the first round in Doha, and that's a very good win for her.
Head-to-head:
The two have met many times before this meeting, six times in total. Gauff largely dominated, winning five of those, with Siniakova's only win coming in 2022 at the Billie Jean King Cup.
They played twice on outdoor hard courts, and Gauff won easily both times. Last year saw them clash twice, with the American winning both matches in straight sets.
There is a very good chance she does it again, and it mostly comes down to how the court in Doha plays. It's quite bouncy; there is plenty of time to catch the balls, and very few move as quickly around the court as Gauff does.
Prediction:
It also rewards aggressive baseliners, like Siniakova, but Gauff's speed currently seems to be more impressive than Siniakova's hitting.
The teenager will be able to assert herself, especially with the backhand, and if she finds a similar form that she was able to find over the past few months, she should be able to win this match.
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in two sets.
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