Gauff, the reigning champion of the 2023 US Open, had a dream of representing her country at the Olympics. However, her performance in Paris did not meet expectations as she suffered an early exit at the hands of Croatia’s Donna Vekić. Now, Gauff is determined to put that disappointing campaign behind her and start her North American hard-court swing on a positive note.
In her first match at the Canadian Open, Gauff will be facing China’s Yafan Wang. Can the 30-year-old Chinese tennis star cause an upset against the top-seeded American icon?
Gauff had an impressive start to her season, winning the title at the ASB Classic. Throughout the year, she came close to securing more titles but fell short. Gauff has reached the semifinals in five tournaments and the quarterfinals in two. Her exit from the Olympics at the hands of Vekić was a setback, and now she aims to redeem herself.
Wang’s top performances this season include reaching the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals once. Since the beginning of the qualifiers, the Chinese player has not lost a single set. In her previous match, she defeated Sofia Kenin with a score of 7-5, 7-6(3). Wang has shown average performance under pressure, successfully saving 4 out of 7 breakpoints and converting 5 out of 8, displaying dominance over her opponents.
These two players have not yet faced each other on the professional tour. Although the 20-year-old may be struggling with her recent form, she is undoubtedly a formidable force in women’s tennis. She has already spent 100 weeks in the Top 10 of the WTA rankings, making this match a challenging one for Yafan Wang.
When it comes to playing on hard courts, Gauff has a completely different style. In the previous year, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual winner Jessica Pegula. This time, the top-seeded tennis star will strive for a better performance. Gauff has a win-loss record of 37-12 this season, while Wang’s record stands at 12-11. Additionally, Gauff holds a much higher ranking at number 2, compared to Wang’s position at number 72. Taking all these factors into consideration, Gauff appears to be the clear favorite in this match, despite not hitting any aces and committing 7 double faults.
Although Gauff describes herself as an aggressive player, she often adopts a defensive approach during her matches. Her powerful serve can unsettle her opponents at any moment. However, her serve has been problematic for some time now, and it seems that this issue will persist in Canada. In the Olympics, she won 55% of her first serves and 44% of her second serves against Vekic. The concern is amplified by the fact that she has hit only 156 winners but committed 256 double faults.
Nevertheless, Gauff’s swift movement and incredible athleticism are among her greatest strengths and saving graces. Her lethal backhand has been used to overpower many opponents, and Wang may become one of them.
On the other hand, Wang Yafan is known for her powerful hits and impressive serving ability. She excels at strong groundstrokes from the baseline and is also skilled at returning the ball. Her aggressive approach to the game allows her to dictate play and go for winners instead of engaging in long rallies. However, it seems highly unlikely that she will be able to dictate the game on her own terms against the world number 2 at the moment.
Photo from Coco Gauff Instagram
