China Open 2024 Women’s Singles: Paula Badosa vs. Coco Gauff preview, prediction and live stream details
Paula Badosa will face Coco Gauff for the sixth time in her career in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 China Open.
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Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff (X/The New York Times)
Coco Gauff will face Paula Badosa in her first WTA semifinal since May. The American beat Yulia Starodubtseva in the quarterfinals of the China Open and is seeking to redeem herself after a disappointing North American hard court swing, where she failed to defend her Cincinnati and US Open titles.
Badosa has been arguably one of the in-form players since the hard court swing. She has won 28 of her last 35 matches dating back to May, when she reached the quarterfinals of the Bad Homburg Open. The Spaniard reached the quarterfinals of the US Open and is yet to drop a set since arriving in Beijing.
Paula Badosa vs. Coco Gauff: Match Details
- Tournament: China Open 2024
- Match: Paula Badosa vs. Coco Gauff
- Date: October 5, 2024
- Time: TBD
- Venue: Beijing, China
- Round: Semifinals
Paula Badosa vs Coco Gauff: Match Preview
In the first half of the season, Paula Badosa struggled with injuries, mainly a stress fracture in her back that she suffered last year. It was not until the grass court swing that she found her form. Badosa reached the Round of 16 of Wimbledon and then won the Citi Open, beating Marie Bouzkova in the final. She reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open but fell short against Jessica Pegula in three sets.
Since arriving in China, Badosa has been playing her best tennis. The World No. 19 opened her campaign beating Viktoriya Tomova and Rebecca Sramkova. Against Pegula in the Round of 16, she performed brilliantly to win 6-4, 6-0. On Thursday (October 3), Badosa ended Zhang Shuai’s strong run with a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory in the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, Coco Gauff is yet to replicate her second-half form from last year, when she won the Cincinnati Open and US Open. The American parted ways with her coach Brad Gilbert before the China Open and arrived in Beijing with Matt Daly taking over the coaching duties. The collaboration has yielded results but has not produced conviction in her game.
Gauff opened her China Open campaign by beating Clara Burel 7-5, 6-2 in the second round after earning a first-round bye. She then defeated Katie Boulter 7-5, 6-2. Against Naomi Osaka, Gauff was on the brink of an exit before the Japanese began to struggle with an injury that forced her to eventually retire. The 20-year-old then came from behind to beat Yulia Starodubtseva 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Paula Badosa vs. Coco Gauff: Match Prediction
Paula Badosa has won 18 of her last 21 matches, a solid run that has seen her reach the semifinals of her last four tournaments. That same cannot be said of Gauff, who looks to be still struggling despite a change of coach.
Badosa leads Gauff 3-2 in their head-to-head record. However, Gauff won their last meeting 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 at the Italian Open. The last time Badosa beat the American was at the 2023 Madrid Open, where she triumphed in straight sets.
Gauff is desperate and is looking to reach her first final since January. She might not be able to see that dream materialize, however, as Badosa has been at the top of her game in recent months.
Match Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in three sets
Paula Badosa vs. Coco Gauff: Live Stream
- USA – Tennis Channel
- UK – Sky UK
- Canada – TSN
- Australia – beIN Sports
- Belgium – Telenet, BeTV
- Brazil – ESPN Brazil
- India: Tennis TV
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Victor Okechukwu
(711 Articles Published)