Italian Open 2021: Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (1) Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff
Date: 14 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: $1,835,490
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff preview
Top seed Ashleigh Barty will take on rising star Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open on Friday.
Barty has looked nearly unstoppable since returning to the tour after a nearly one-year break. The Aussie juggernaut has rolled on through the first quarter of 2021, collecting titles at the Yarra Valley Classic, Miami and Stuttgart.
She did falter at the final hurdle in Madrid, but Barty seems to be playing with renewed vigor in Rome. Barty has registered commanding wins in her first couple of rounds, crushing Yaroslava Shvedova and Charleston champion Veronika Kudermetova while conceding no more than six games per match.
Up next for the World No. 1 is the sprightly Coco Gauff, whose ball-striking and intelligence belie her age.
Gauff has had a decent start to the year, dotted with a few impressive performances here and there. A semifinal appearance at Adelaide and a couple of quarterfinals at Dubai and Charleston have catapulted her to a career-high ranking of No. 35.
The 17-year-old has brought some of her momentum into Rome too. She began her campaign this week with a three-set win over the tricky Yulia Putintseva. Refusing to show any tiredness, she Gauff then battled for another three sets to oust 17th seed Maria Sakkari.
The American went on to register the third top-10 win of her career in the Round of 16, as she sent Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka packing 7-5, 6-3.
Needless to say, Gauff would have got a huge boost of confidence with her recent performances. She would now be fancying her chances of an upset against Barty too.
Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff head-to-head
Ashleigh Barty and Coco Gauff have never crossed paths on the tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff prediction
Given the spectacular form she is in at the moment, Ashleigh Barty is the favorite to win this battle of youth and experience. The Aussie's tremendous foot speed and variety make her a dangerous opponent for anybody on clay.
She has been serving well in this tournament, as is evident from the nine aces and 80% first-serve success rate she produced against Kudermetova. Barty's return game was also outstanding in the match, as she converted six of the seven break point opportunities she got.
The World No. 1 has been doing almost everything right, and looks determined to grab her second claycourt title of the year.
However, Coco Gauff will present a different challenge altogether. The youngster can move well on clay and is a gritty competitor, who has already learnt the art of being patient before pulling the trigger.
Those qualities were visible in Gauff's resounding win over the in-form Sabalenka, where she had 80% success on break points. She would be keen to continue in that same vein on Friday.
That said, Barty is just too solid at the moment. Gauff may have the tools to make the match a contest, but constantly dealing with the Aussie's slice-and-dropshot combination might be too tall an order for her at this age.
Prediction: Ashleigh Barty to win in three sets.