Wuhan Open 2024 Draw: Coco Gauff's projected path to the final ft. possible R3 clash with Amanda Anisimova and SF with Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff and her fellow players got to know of their fates as the Wuhan Open 2024 draw was revealed on Saturday, October 5, The 20-year-old will be making her debut at the tournament, which returns to the WTA Tour for the first time since 2019.
The Wuhan Open was put on hold due to the pandemic and logistic issues since its previous edition. While most players are looking forward to its return, Gauff will be more focused on her task at hand. After a tough few months, she has now reached the final of the China Open.
Gauff will take on Karolina Muchova in the summit clash on Sunday, October 6. She will be gunning for her second WTA 1000 title and coincidentally beat the Czech to win her first at last year's Cincinnati Open. As her journey in Beijing is about to conclude, here's a look at what her path to a final at the Wuhan Open looks like:
Coco Gauff's R2 opponent - Ashlyn Krueger / Viktoriya Tomova
After a first-round bye, Gauff could meet either her compatriot Krueger or Tomova in the second round. Her fellow American has a 15-21 record this year, though she's yet to beat a top-10 player this year or in her career. She's 0-5 against them and has lost all matches in straight sets.
Tomova, too, isn't a huge threat going by her record against higher-ranked players. She's 0-9 against top-10 opposition and has lost eight of those matches in straight sets. Gauff should be able to begin her campaign on a winning note regardless of her opposition.
Possible R3 opponent - Amanda Anisimova
Gauff could be up against another compatriot of hers, Anisimova, in the third round. The latter was the runner-up at the Canadian Open and recently reached the fourth round of the China Open.
The two have split their previous two meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Anisimova won their most recent tussle at Wimbledon a couple of years ago in three sets, while Gauff came out on top in Parma back in 2021 without dropping a set. This will be their first match on hardcourt and could prove to be a tricky one for the former US Open champion.
Possible QF opponent - Daria Kasatkina / Liudmila Samsonova
Eighth seed Kasatkina could be a potential quarterfinal adversary for Gauff at the Wuhan Open. However, the Russian has underperformed at the WTA 1000 level this year. She has an 8-9 record at this level this season and hasn't reached a WTA 1000 quarterfinal since last year's Canadian Open.
Given Kasatkina's results, another Russian, Samsonova, could challenge Gauff in the last eight. She reached a couple of WTA 1000 finals last year, and quarterfinals at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open are her best results this year.
Gauff will also prefer to meet Samsonova at this stage given her 3-0 record against her. Kasatkina could prove to be a handful given that the American has lost all three of their matches in straight sets. If either Russian fails to get to this stage, then Katie Boulter is another possible opponent. She recently beat the Brit en route to the final in Beijing.
Possible SF opponent - Aryna Sabalenka / Emma Navarro
Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak came to an end in the China Open quarterfinals, courtesy of Muchova. However, she's got another streak going on. She's the two-time defending champion at the Wuhan Open and hasn't lost a match at the venue.
Gauff leads Sabalenka 4-3 in the head-to-head, though she lost their previous meeting at this year's Australian Open in straight sets. She will still prefer her against another potential rival at this stage, Navarro.
Navarro has given Gauff a lot of grief in the last few months. She first knocked her out of Wimbledon and then brought an end to her title defense at the US Open in the fourth round. However, with the 20-year-old back in form, she will be keen for a rematch to even their rivalry.
Possible Final opponent - Jessica Pegula / Karolina Muchova / Zheng Qinwen
Pegula won the Canadian Open and was the runner-up at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. Her string of good results came to an end with a fourth-round exit from the China Open. However, her 4-1 winning record against Gauff would make her the favorite if they duke it out in the final.
Home favorite Zheng has never reached a WTA 1000 final before, though this seems like the place for her to do so. She was a semifinalist at the China Open and could go a step further in Wuhan. Gauff won their only prior encounter at this year's Italian Open in straight sets.
Muchova is another favorite to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw. However, it's tough to say how their duel in Wuhan would pan out without knowing the outcome of their showdown in Beijing. For Gauff to reach her second straight WTA 1000 final, she would certainly need to maintain her current level.