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Match details
Fixture: (6) Maria Sakkari vs (14) Coco Gauff
Tournament: Qatar TotalEnergies Open.
Date: 24 February, 2022
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Doha, Qatar.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $2,331,698.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Maria Sakkari vs Coco Gauff preview
Sixth seed Maria Sakkari and 14th seed Coco Gauff will square off in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha on Thursday.
The Greek continues her strong start to the season. Having finished as the runner-up to Anett Kontaveit in St. Petersburg, the World No. 6 has brought that momentum to Doha.
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Sakkari hasn't dropped a set so far in her two matches this week against Ann Li and ninth-seeded Jessica Pegula.
Her win over the latter would give the Greek immense satisfaction. At the Australian Open, Pegula sent Sakkari packing in straight sets in the fourth round. The 26-year-old made amends this time with a 6-4, 7-5 win. However, Sakkari cannot afford to be complacent as her next opponent beat her in their last meeting.
17-year-old Coco Gauff's season has been highly inconsistent. After making it to the semis in Adelaide, the World No. 23 suffered a couple of first-round exits at the Australian Open and Dubai.
Gauff seems to have put her woes behind her this week in Doha. Showing the same confidence that took her to the Roland Garros quarterfinals last year, Gauff has now made it to the last eight on her Qatar Open debut.
With straight-sets wins over quality opponents such as Shelby Rogers, Caroline Garcia and third seed Paula Badosa, Gauff once again looks like a top title contender.
The American's 6-2, 6-3 demolition of Badosa in the Round of 16 on Wednesday was the third top-five win of her fledgling career. After such a commanding performance, the teenager will be eager to take that stellar form into her quarterfinal showdown with Sakkari.
Maria Sakkari vs Coco Gauff head-to-head
Sakkari leads the head-to-head against Gauff 2-1. Sakkari won their first two meetings in straight sets at the 2020 Cincinnati and 2021 Abu Dhabi tournaments.
Gauff earned her revenge in three sets on the claycourts of Rome last year.
Maria Sakkari vs Coco Gauff prediction
Although Gauff has secured all her wins this week in straight sets, her serve continues to be a reason to worry. She has coughed up 19 double faults in three matches but has made up for it with her excellent groundstrokes game. Gauff's brilliant footwork, shot placement and ability to convert defense into offense have left the likes of Sydney champion Paula Badosa with no answers.
One particular area that has stood out during her campaign is the percentage of points she has won off her second serve. The teen has won at least 74% of her second serve points in all three of her matches, making it tough for her opponents.
However, none of them hit the ball as hard as her next opponent, Maria Sakkari. The Greek plays a heavily power-packed game and has greatly improved her slice backhand, making her more dangerous. Against Pegula, the sixth seed used it efficiently to disrupt the American's rhythm.
Gauff needs to use her sharp angles to move the Greek all over the court and eke out errors off her racquet. Sakkari isn't the best to respond under pressure and the youngster could have her moments.
However, the World No. 6 has been playing some high-level tennis for the past few weeks and will likely have enough power to subdue Gauff in the end.
Prediction: Sakkari to win in three sets.
