Silicon Valley Classic 2022: Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Naomi Osaka vs (6) Coco Gauff
Date: August 4, 2022.
Tournament: Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: San Jose, United States.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff preview
Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka will square off against sixth seed Coco Gauff in the second round of the Silicon Valley Classic on Thursday.
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You won't want to miss @CocoGauff v @naomiosaka in our prime time feature match!
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Osaka hasn’t had an ideal 2022 season. By and large, she has been off the court due to injuries.
The Japanese tennis star started her season off-note as she had to withdraw from the Melbourne Summer Set semifinals citing an abdominal injury.
Subsequently, the two-time Australian Open champion was seen off by Amanda Anisimova in the third round at the Grand Slam Down Under.
Although Osaka tried to gain momentum by reaching the Miami Open final, where she was outplayed by Iga Swiatek, she was largely missing from the courts thereafter.
The four-time Grand Slam winner has now made a comeback, recovering from an Achilles injury. In the first round of the Silicon Valley Classic, Osaka defeated China’s Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
@naomiosaka gets the win in a tricky opening match against Zheng, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1!Level 🆙
🇯🇵 @naomiosaka gets the win in a tricky opening match against Zheng, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1!
#MubadalaSVC https://t.co/2H9pTf6ibo
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, has had a noteworthy season. Although she hasn't won any titles, the World No. 11 reached her maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. She also contested the doubles final at Roland Garros with partner Jessica Pegula.
Aside from the French Open, Gauff’s best results on the WTA tour this season have been reaching the semifinals of the Adelaide International-2 and the German Open.
The American has distributed her time between both singles and doubles.
Gauff outsmarted Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 6-0 in the first round of the Silicon Valley Classic.
Coco Gauff said she was fully in the zone tonight, played the perfect match. "I don't think I'll play a match that perfect until years from now. It's usually 1-2 matches in a season that you get that to happen." #MubadalaSVC twitter.com/WTA/status/155…
Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff head-to-head
Osaka leads the head-to-head against Gauff 2-1. They have clashed thrice before, with Osaka emerging as the winner at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Cincinnati Masters, while Gauff scored a win at the 2020 Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff odds
(All odds are sourced from Bet365)
Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff prediction
This will be an electrifying contest between the two titans that could go either way.
Osaka plays aggressively from the baseline. Her menacing forehand paired with her expeditious serve makes her a threatening opponent.
Gauff, too, is an aggressive athlete. She mixes her shots well and displays a lot of variety. The 18-year-old is powerful with her serve and she is profound with her lob-shots.
The American will try to employ her cross-court backhand to earn winners while the former World No. 1 will try to trouble the teenager using her top-class forehand.
Osaka will want to establish her footing in the competitive tournaments once again, but given Gauff’s form, it will be a massive task.
Pick: Gauff to win in three sets.