2019 US Open: Coco Gauff vs Naomi Osaka preview and prediction
The 15 year old American Cori 'Coco' Gauff loves the big stage. That is the one thing that has been made clear by the teenager's sensational performances at the Grand Slam tournaments this year. Having made the fourth round of Wimbledon this year, Gauff is set for another highly anticipated round of 32 match. Her opponent this time is none other than the US Open defending champion and world no. 1 Naomi Osaka.
Gauff, much like at Wimbledon, has come back from huge deficits in both her matches to stun her more experienced opponents in the first two rounds here in Flushing Meadows. She has been rewarded with a match against last year's surprise champion Osaka in a mouth-watering third round match.
The Japanese star, who has had her fair share of troubles in the early rounds this year, is looking to defend not just her title from last year, but also her world no. 1 ranking. The stakes are high for Osaka as she will be keen on making up for some of her average performances (ever the since the Australian Open triumph) with another deep run at the final Slam of the year.
Both Osaka and Gauff have found a way through difficult matches at this year's US Open. Even when they were not playing their best tennis, the two next-gen stars managed to find a way to come out on top in their respective encounters. It will be interesting to see these two gritty players go up against each other for the first time on such a big stage.
One of them has to give way to the other in the match, and whoever breaks first will likely be the runner-up. Osaka has been quick to bounce back from setbacks so far in the tournaments and has showcased a powerful, if somewhat erratic, game from the baseline. She will have to limit her unforced errors against a very intelligent player in Gauff to have a shot at winning.
Gauff, on the other hand, has been rather slow to start off her matches. That said, the American has come into her own in big situations and owned some of these comeback wins. It will be difficult against Osaka, so she will be looking to establish herself in the early going, something she could not do in her previous match against Hercog.
One can expect quiet a few long baseline rallies as both players will look to out-muscle the other from the back of the court. It will really come down to which one of the these young women can manage to stay at the top of their game for the longest period of time to secure a win in this match
Prediction: Osaka to win in three sets.