Australian Open 2023: Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (7) Coco Gauff vs (17) Jelena Ostapenko.
Date: 22 January 2023.
Tournament: Australian Open 2023.
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16).
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize Money: A$76,500,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv.
Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko preview
World No. 7 Coco Gauff will square off against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the 2023 Australian Open on Sunday.
Gauff scored straight sets wins over Katerina Siniakova and Emma Raducanu to set up a third-round meeting with Bernarda Pera. The teenager drew first blood as she snagged an early break to go 4-1 up in the opening set. She held three set points on her opponent's serve at 5-2, but was unable to seal the deal.
Nevertheless, Gauff managed to serve out the set in the following game. She was off to a fast start in the second set, breaking Pera's serve twice to lead 4-1. The young American then stepped up to serve for the match at 5-2. She squandered three match points and then had to save a couple of break points as well.
Gauff finally got the job done on her fourth match point to win 6-3, 6-2 and reach the fourth round here for the second time.
Ostapenko defeated Dayana Yastremska and Anna Bondar to reach the third round, where she was up against Kateryna Baindl. The Latvian lost serve in the very first game of the match, but claimed the next four games in a row to lead 4-1.
Ostapenko maintained a tight grip on the proceedings and soon bagged the opening set. She raised her level even more in the second set as she dished out a bagel to win the match 6-3, 6-0. The 25-year old has now made it to the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time.
Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head
Gauff leads Ostapenko 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2019 Linz Open in three sets.
Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction
With her third-round victory, Gauff improved her record to 8-0 this season and has won all of her matches in straight sets. The teenager was too solid against Pera, with her impressive court coverage and defense shining once again.
Ostapenko overcame a slow start to completely dominate the proceedings against Baindl. She struck 37 winners in all, hitting her groundstrokes with precision. She also moved forward fairly often in an attempt to finish off points, with considerable success.
If Ostapenko maintains this level, there's not much Gauff would be able to do. But unlike the teenager, consistency has never been the Latvian's strong forte. She's an extremely streaky player, from one match to another, and during the match as well.
Ostapenko has the tools to outhit Gauff, but the young American's movement and serve is likely to keep her in contention until the end. The 18-year old is yet to lose a match this year. The former French Open champion is likely to offer a stern test to the teenager, one she should be able to pass.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.