"Coco Gauff has a game that puts Aryna Sabalenka in uncomfortable positions" - Andrea Petkovic ahead of duo's Australian Open SF clash

Andrea Petkovic has shared her thoughts on the highly anticipated semifinal showdown between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 Australian Open.

Gauff faced a challenging obstacle in the path to her maiden Australian Open semifinal when she took on Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals. The American fended off two set points in the opener and later rebounded from failing to serve out the match in the second set, claiming a hard-fought 7-6(6), 6-7(3), 6-2 win after a three-hour and eight-minute battle.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, marched into the semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Barbora Krejcikova. The defending champion has been in dominant form in Melbourne, dropping just 16 games and not losing a single set en route to the semifinals.

Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Andre Petkovic provided her analysis of the blockbuster semifinal clash. She pointed out that Coco Gauff enjoyed a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head record, emphasizing how the American's style of play forces Sabalenka into uncomfortable positions.

"And it has to be mentioned Coco Gauff has a 4-2 head-to-head. I’m a strong believer in head-to-head so clearly Coco has a game that puts Aryna in uncomfortable positions so that’s something to keep an eye on," she said (at 16:21).

Petkovic also highlighted the "golden rule" in tennis - that after overcoming a subpar performance in the previous match, as Gauff did in the quarterfinals, good players typically play "amazing" in the following match.

"And this is a golden rule in tennis that I’ve seen over and over and over again, when you get through a terrible match where you haven’t felt one shot, when you’re a good player, you will play amazing the next match. That’s normally because you’re happy to still be there and you will swing freely," she said.

However, the German conceded that if the 19-year-old was struggling with a technical issue rather than just a temporary dip in performance, she might find it tough to challenge Sabalenka.

"I’m not sure, because some of the shots yesterday from Coco looked so bad, whether it’s a technical issue, then you won’t be able to swing through it if it’s a technical issue. But if she was just tight, the conditions were different and she was afraid to lose, then I think she will play much better," she added.

Aryna Sabalenka on facing Coco Gauff in Australian Open SF: "After US Open, I really wanted that revenge"

Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka's semifinal clash at the Australian Open will mark a rematch of their riveting encounter in the 2023 US Open final. Gauff clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at the New York Major last year, defeating the Belarusian 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Despite her last Grand Slam meeting against the American ending in a loss, Sabalenka expressed excitement for their semifinal showdown, stating that she was eager to avenge her US Open final defeat.

"I love it, I love it. After US Open, I really wanted that revenge, and, I mean, that's a great match. It's always great battles against Coco, with really great fights. I'm happy to play her, and I'm super excited to play that semifinal match," Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.

Should Coco Gauff emerge victorious against Aryna Sabalenka, she will take on the winner of the match between Zheng Qinwen and Dayana Yastremska in the Australian Open final.