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Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler
Date: February 18`, 2025
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Al Garhoud
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $3.6 million
Live Telecast: US - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler preview
Third seed Coco Gauff will begin her campaign at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships with a second-round clash against fellow American McCartney Kessler. Gauff, who ended last season on a high after wins in Wuhan and at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, has failed to sustain the momentum in 2025.
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The World No. 3 started the year by playing a pivotal role in Team USA's United Cup victory, winning all her matches. However, at the Australian Open, she fell short against Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals, losing 5-7, 4-6. In her next event at the Qatar Open, she lost 2-6, 5-7 against Marta Kostyuk in the second round. Being the third seed, Gauff got an opening-round bye in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Kessler has hit the ground running in 2025, winning her second career title at the Hobart International. She won against the likes of Rebecca Sramkova, Maria Lourdes Carle, Elina Avanesyan, and Dayana Yastremska to reach the final. She won 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 against Elise Mertens to clinch the title.
However, after her title in Hobart, she had a string of three consecutive losses at the Australian Open, the Abu Dhabi Open, and the Qatar Open. However, at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Kessler has started with a bang, winning 6-2, 6-3 against Amanda Anisimova, who had just clinched the WTA 1000 title in Qatar last week.
Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the players.
Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler prediction
Hard courts have been very successful for Gauff as the young American has won eight of her nine titles on the surface. She has a perfect 8-0 record in hard-court finals, and won marquee events like the 2023 US Open and the 2024 WTA Finals. She is a former semifinalist in Dubai, reaching the last four in 2023, losing 4-6, 2-6 against Iga Swiatek.
Kessler's career titles have come on hard courts so far. Aside from her title in Hobart this year, she won her maiden WTA title in Cleveland last year, winning 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 against Beatriz Haddad Maia. The American also has four hard-court titles on the Challenger and the ITF Tours combined.
Even though Gauff's form has not been the most stable in 2025, she will be the favorite in the upcoming match, given her hard-court form and her top seeding.
Pick- Gauff to win in straight sets
