Italian Open 2024: Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech
Date: May 9, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $5,509,771
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+/3
Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech preview
After a first-round bye, Coco Gauff is set to take on Magdalena Frech in the second round of the 2024 Italian Open on Thursday.
Gauff's clay season got underway at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She was put to the test by Sachia Vickery in her opener but won in three sets to move to the quarterfinals.
Against Marta Kostyuk for a spot in the last-four, she slumped to a three-set defeat, though. Gauff then kicked off her Madrid Open run with a 6-0, 6-0 beatdown of Arantxa Rus. It was smooth sailing in the next round as well, beating Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-1.
Gauff faced her fellow American Madison Keys in the fourth round. The reigning US Open champion rallied from a set down to force a decider but fell short.
Frech, meanwhile, got her Italian Open campaign up and running against Ashlyn Krueger. Both players struggled to hold on to their lead in the first set, which featured eight breaks of serve.
Frech pipped Krueger in the tiebreak to take a one-set lead. The second set wasn't as dramatic, and despite a few hiccups, the Pole remained calm under pressure to register a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win.
Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech head-to-head
Gauff leads Frech 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2024 Australian Open in straight sets.
Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Magdalena Frech prediction
Frech had lost in the first round of her last five tournaments, including the Charleston Open and the Madrid Open. She finally broke the trend with her win over Krueger at the Italian Open.
Gauff's clay results on clay have been disappointing by her lofty standards. Her main rivals on the tour - Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, have all either won a title on the surface or reached a final. The American will be eager to keep up with her contemporaries.
Frech was previously beaten by Gauff in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year in their only encounter. The latter dropped just three games during the match.
Gauff has never left Rome without winning at least one match. Frech had a decent start to the season but has gone off the rails over the last few weeks. The American will be expected to make it through this clash with ease.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in straight sets