Silicon Valley Classic 2022: Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina.
Date: August 2, 2022
Tournament: Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: San Jose, United States.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina preview
Sixth seed Coco Gauff will face off against Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic on Tuesday.
Gauff started the year by competing in a couple of events in Adelaide. She lost to Ashleigh Barty in the second round of the first tournament, while making it to the semifinals of the other one. She was stunned by Wang Qiang in the first round of the Australian Open.
Gauff then made it to the quarterfinals in singles of the WTA 1000 in Qatar, while claiming the doubles alongside Jessica Pegula as well. At the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, she made it to the third and fourth rounds respectively. The teenager's biggest career achievement came at the French Open, where she reached her maiden Grand Slam final in singles.
Gauff lost to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets. She also reached the final in doubles, but finished as the runner-up once again. She kicked off her grass swing by making it to the semifinals in Berlin. At Wimbledon, she lost to Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
thanks for letting me throw the first pitch at the @SFGiants !!! Glad I didn’t flop it lol https://t.co/pbzypc9MVI
Anhelina Kalinina's string of good performances propelled her to a career-high ranking of World No. 34 this year. She had a slow start to the season, making frequent early exits before the Miami Open, where she made it to the fourth round. The Ukrainian started her clay season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Charleston Open.
Kalinina then made it to the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time at the Madrid Open. She defeated Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Emma Raducanu before losing to Jil Teichmann. At the French Open, she lost in the second round.
Kalinina's best result during the grass swing was a quarterfinal appearance at the Eastbourne International, while losing in the second round at Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina head-to-head
The two have not crossed paths before this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Anhelina Kalinina prediction
Kalinina's record on hardcourts stands at 5-5. Gauff has fared slightly better than her opponent, compiling a 10-7 win loss record on the surface. While the Ukrainian will be competing in her first hardcourt match in months, the teenager already has a headstart.
Gauff recently played a couple of exhibition matches at the Atlanta Open. She easily defeated her compatriots Taylor Townsend and Sofia Kenin. Despite them just being exhibition matches, getting a feel of the surface will certainly give her an edge in this encounter.
Gauff's serve and forehand have been quite inconsistent. At times, she has shown remarkable improvement with respect to them. But those shots have misfired at times as well, leading to her downfall. But even when her game isn't working, her athleticism and determination have helped her get across the finish line.
Most of Kalinina's success has come on clay, but her run at the Miami Open would've given her plenty of confidence to perform well on hardcourts as well. She has a solid backhand and is steady from the back of the court. She'll look to exploit Gauff's well-known weaknesses, but the teenager has shown she is a force to be reckoned with despite her shortcomings.
Kalinina is certainly a tricky prospect to overcome, but Gauff should be able to handle the challenge posed by her.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in straight sets.