Miami Open 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Iga Swiatek vs (14) Coco Gauff
Date: 28 March 2022
Tournament: Miami Open presented by Itau
Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Miami, Florida, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Match timing: Approx 3.30 pm local time, 7.30 pm GMT, 1 am IST
Prize money: $8,584,055
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff preview
Iga Swiatek will continue her quest for a third straight WTA 1000 title against World No. 1 Coco Gauff in the last 16 of the Miami Open on Monday.
Swiatek, who will be crowned World No. 1 next week, is in the form of her life at present.
The Pole made a fine start to the year, reaching back-to-back semifinals in Adelaide and the Australian Open. After a brief stutter in Dubai, the 20-year-old went on to win back-to-back titles at the Qatar Open and Indian Wells. She is currently on a 13-match winning streak heading into the showdown with Gauff.
I'm glad of today's win. Now it's time for some rest… Surprisingly little time for recovery, it is gonna be quite challenging for me and my team but… see you tomorrow.
👊 I'm glad of today's win. Now it's time for some rest… Surprisingly little time for recovery, it is gonna be quite challenging for me and my team but… see you tomorrow. https://t.co/DVT0wf30Cj
The second seed has breezed through her two matches so far in Miami, dropping a total of five games.
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, has blown hot and cold so far this season. The 18-year-old reached the semifinals in Adelaide, but followed it up with a couple of early exits at the Australian Open and Dubai.
The American bounced back strongly to make the last eight in Doha. However, Gauff failed to make an impact at Indian Wells, falling to Simona Halep in the third round.
The teen has had to grind out wins in her first couple of rounds in Miami. The 14th seed beat Wang Qiang 7-5, 6-4 in her opener and followed it up with a tight 7-6(1), 7-5 win over Zhang Shuai.
Gauff will need to raise her level significantly if she is to pose a threat to Swiatek on Monday.
Miami 4th round:
[2] Iga Swiatek vs. [14] Coco Gauff
Should be gooood.
Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff head-to-head
Swiatek leads Gauff 1-0 in the head-to-head. The Pole defeated the American 7-6(3), 6-3 in Rome last year.
Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff prediction
This will be a battle between two youngsters who could potentially dominate women's tennis over the next decade.
Swiatek already has a Slam title and three WTA 1000 trophies under her belt. Since joining forces with Tomasz Wiktorowski ahead of the start of the season, the Pole has taken her game to a new level.
Swiatek has played extremely aggressive tennis and has broken serve nearly 65% of the time during her incredible 13-match winning streak. She has dominated nearly every opponent she's played this past month and has dropped just four sets across her last three tournaments, including Miami.
For Gauff to have any chance against the World No. 2, she must serve well. The American has a strong first serve, but she struggles to get it into play often enough.
If Swiatek is able to fully recover from the short turnaround between her third and fourth-round matches, she should have enough in the tank to see off the American and advance to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two tight sets.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Schedule