Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (7) Zheng Qinwen
Date: May 14, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $5,509,771
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN2
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen preview
Top-10 players Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen are set for a quarterfinal showdown at the 2024 Italian Open on Tuesday.
Gauff knocked out Magdalena Frech and Jacqueline Cristian to reach the fourth round, where she was up against Paula Badosa. The American recovered from a break down before losing the first set.
She squandered her lead twice in the second set as Badosa remained hot on her tail. However, the young American snagged another break and didn't relinquish her advantage to force a decider.
Gauff completed her comeback emphatically, reeling off six consecutive games for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win. She has now made the last-eight in Rome for the first time since 2022, and the second time in her career.
Zheng, meanwhile, ousted Shelby Rogers and Linda Noskova to reach the fourth round, where she took on former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka. The Chinese wrestled control of the first set, sweeping the last five games.
Zheng continued her momentum in the second set, forging a 2-0 lead. She kept Osaka at bay for the rest of the set to register a 6-2, 6-4 win to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight year.
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Zheng Qinwen prediction
Gauff dug deep as she staged a huge comeback to secure her first win over Badosa. Zheng, meanwhile, had an easier time dealing with Osaka. She has won three consecutive matches for the first time since her run to the Australian Open final earlier this year.
Gauff's inconsistency off her forehand wing was always an issue, and now she has worries about her serve as well. She got only 37 percent of her first serves in play against Badosa and threw in 11 double faults. However, she remained undeterred and played with an aggressive mindset, which yielded the desired result.
Zheng has been the better player in Rome and has a good shot at reaching her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal. Gauff will need to sort out her serving woes to be effective against top players. Unless she's able to get a handle on that, the Chinese will be favored to make it through.
Pick: Zheng Qinwen to win in three sets