US Open 2021: Coco Gauff vs Sloane Stephens preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (21) Coco Gauff vs Sloane Stephens
Date: 1 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Coco Gauff vs Sloane Stephens preview
Coco Gauff faces 2017 champion Sloane Stephens in a blockbuster all-American second-round clash at the US Open 2021 on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Gauff is in the middle of a phenomenal season. Having won the title in Parma and reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros, the young American seems ready to make a statement at her home Slam.
Gauff had a tough first round against the in-form Magda Linette, who came to New York fresh off a run to the semifinals in Cleveland last week. Despite trailing by a set and a break, the 23rd-ranked Gauff showed tremendous resilience to steady the ship and complete a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 comeback win.
Up next for Gauff is her senior compatriot Sloane Stephens, whom she has known for nearly a decade.
Having struggled for consistency for a couple of years, Stephens has been showing signs of resurgence this season. The former World No. 3 made it to the semifinals at Parma and the quarterfinals at Charleston, a run that culminated in reaching the fourth round of the French Open.
Even though Stephens won a grand total of just two matches in the three hardcourt events she played in the lead-up to the US Open, her first-round match against Madison Keys brought out the fighter in her. In a rematch of the 2017 US Open final, the 28-year-old dug deep to see off her fellow American 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) and set up the second-round showdown with Gauff.
Coco Gauff vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Coco Gauff vs Sloane Stephens prediction
The two Americans are at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as their form is concerned.
While the former champion Sloane Stephens has more experience of winning on these courts, she lacks consistency. Her form has been fluctuating for quite a while now and she tends to get erratic under pressure, which has seen her losing several matches from winning positions.
Coco Gauff, on the other hand, has been really solid of late and has shown maturity that belies her age. Her fighting spirit and never-say-die-attitude have given her tons of wins even when she has looked down and out, with her comeback win over Linette being the latest example.
Although Gauff clearly has the edge by dint of her recent exploits, she needs to put up a better serving display against Stephens. She served nine aces against Linette but those were offset by eight double faults. The teenager also committed 42 unforced errors against a paltry 21 winners, something she cannot afford to repeat against a player of Stephens' caliber.
Stephens' speed and her ability to redirect a lot of balls back could pose a challenge for the youngster. However, her own tendency to be passive in pressure situations could prove to be her undoing against the in-form Gauff.
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.