Adelaide International 2021: Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini

Date: 23 February 2021

Tournament: WTA Adelaide International

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Melbourne, Australia

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $535,530

Match timing: Approx 12.30 pm local time, 7 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel

Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini preview

American teenager Coco Gauff takes on Jasmine Paolini in the first round of the WTA 500 Adelaide International on Tuesday.

Gauff burst onto the WTA tour in the latter stages of 2019 and early 2020, with a series of headline-grabbing wins on the big stage. However, the 16-year-old's stock has fallen a little in the last few months.

Gauff had a rough start to the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi, losing in the second round. She then beat Jil Teichmann to reach the second round of the Australian Open, but bowed out without much resistance to Elina Svitolina.

At Adelaide this week, the American outlasted a difficult challenge in the final round of qualification against Kaja Juvan. Gauff rallied from a one-set deficit, winning the decider 6-3 to set up a first-round meeting with Jasmine Paolini.

Jasmine Paolini

Paolini is a mainstay on the WTA tour in both singles and doubles, and has some high-profile wins under her belt. But the Italian's start to the 2021 season has been far from ideal, with early round losses in all her tournaments so far.

Just like Gauff, Paolini also had to overturn a one-set deficit in her final qualifying match - which was against Astra Sharma.

Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini head-to-head

The first round encounter in Adelaide is the first professional meeting between Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolin, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Coco Gauff vs Jasmine Paolini prediction

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini placed close to each other in the rankings, and they are also in a similar vein of form right now.

Gauff possesses a supremely effective all-court game, and her movement has been the standout aspect of her career so far. The American will also be the fresher of the two, given that Paolini had to battle through back-to-back three-set matches in qualifying.

Gauff will look to take the initiative in the match with her variety, quick footwork and efficient shot selection. However, Paolini's prowess from the back of the court coupled with her defensive skills could pose a few problems to the teenager.

Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.