Cincinnati Open 2024: Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva
Date: TBD
Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $3,211,715
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky UK | India - Sony Liv
Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva preview
Coco Gauff will open her 2024 Cincinnati Open title defence with a second-round encounter against the tricky Yulia Putintseva.
Gauff, the second seed at this year’s tournament, received a bye in her opener. She is playing in her second US Open series tournament, having fallen in the Canadian Open third round against Diana Shnaider despite being the top seed.
That, however, does not take away from her solid 2024 season. A 36-12 win-loss has seen her claim a title (in Auckland) and reach a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
Puntintseva, meanwhile, is playing in her first tournament since Wimbledon. The Kazakh had stunned World No. 1 Iga Swiatek en-route to the second week at the Slam, but has since taken some time off.
Back competing after a month’s gap, Putintseva beat Harriet Dart in her Cincinnati Open first-round. The victory has improved her season’s win-loss to a solid 32-16.
Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva head-to-head
Gauff leads Puntinseva in their current head-to-head 3-0. Two of their three previous encounters have, however, gone the distance.
Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva odds
(Odds to updated)
Coco Gauff vs Yulia Putintseva prediction
The Cincinnati Open was where Coco Gauff’s meteoric rise began. She captured her biggest title at the venue 12 months ago and went on to lift her maiden Grand Slam trophy at the US Open just weeks later.
The youngster will look to replicate her performance this year, but will need to be at her very best against a tricky opponent like Yulia Putintseva.
The Kazakh showcased the best possible mix of aggression and court craft during her win at Wimbledon. She has been particularly effective on return of late, winning well over 50% points on the second serve return.
That should be particularly concerning for Gauff, who has a rather attackable second serve. Her double fault figure was nearing double digits in her loss against Diana Shnaider.
The serving numbers need to improve significantly for the American for her to put on a good show. Any slip-ups will allow Putintseva inroads into the contest and she is too strong a player to waste those opportunities.
Prediction: Putintseva to win in three sets