Auckland 2024: Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | ASB Classic
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Coco Gauff vs (8) Varvara Gracheva
Tournament: ASB Classic 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $267,082
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports.
Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva preview
Top seed Coco Gauff of the United States will continue her ASB Classic title defense with a quarterfinal clash against eighth seed Varvara Gracheva of France.
The American won the ASB Classic last year displaying some quality tennis, which set the tone for a memorable season for her. She also won her maiden Grand Slam, the US Open last year.
Gauff ended 2023 with a couple of semifinal runs at the China Open and the WTA Finals and will be eager to continue the momentum in the new season.
The 19-year-old thrashed Brenda Fruhritova 6-3 6-0 in the second round to continue her run in Auckland.
Gracheva, the 23-year-old from France, beat Lulu Radovcic of Switzerland in straight sets in the second round, displaying some impressive tennis. The eighth seed will be no pushover in the quarterfinal.
Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva head-to-head
The two players have never squared off on the tour before. Hence, their head-to-head remains tied at 0-0 for now.
Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva odds:
(Odds to be updated once they are released)
Coco Gauff vs Varvara Gracheva prediction
Gauff is the more fancied of the two players, without any doubt. She is a Grand Slam champion and ranked in the top three in the world. She was the more defensive of the two players in the match against Fruhritova for the most part.
She dealt with Fruhritova’s powerful groundstrokes with some solid defense, thereby extending the rallies and forcing the latter to commit unforced errors. She served Fruhritova a bagel in the second set to mark a wonderful performance.
However, her match against Gracheva might prove to be a bit tougher. The Frenchwoman served well in her match with Radovcic, without being broken even once. She also won 86% of the points on her first serve, which was quite creditable.
Still, Gauff’s superior defense and accuracy should make things tougher for Gracheva in the match. If the American plays even close to her potential, she should not have much trouble in disposing of Gracheva to book her place in the last four.
Pick: Gauff to win in straight sets