“Revenge is the act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice” – Coco Gauff will take on Ons Jabeur for the second time in 17 days. She defeated the Tunisian tennis star in the QF of the 2024 French Open. However, it was Jabeur who had the last laugh when they met each other last time in this tournament. Who’s going to win the QF clash at the Grass Court Championships in Berlin on Friday (June 21)?

Ons Jabeur is a proven campaigner on this surface. She has reached the finals of Wimbledon twice and has also won a title in Berlin in 2022. On the other hand, Coco Gauff couldn’t move further than the fourth round in her previous attempts. The new world number two will be looking forward to making full use of her form this year and making a deep run at Wimbledon. Can she do wonders in Wimbledon this year? Well, her performance in Berlin may well answer her fans.

Coco Gauff vs Ons Jabeur: Preview

Coco Gauff started her season with a title triumph at the ASB Classic. Although she couldn’t win any titles after that, she has made four SF runs and two QF appearances in her previous tournaments this year. In her previous match, she defeated Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova by 7-6(6),6-2. Gauff hit seven aces in that match and committed just two double faults. Her first-serve win percentage was 80%, and her second-serve win percentage was recorded at 71% against the Russian. She converted three out of her four breakpoints in that match.

Gauff has hit a total of 132 aces this season and has committed quite a few double faults (240) as of now. She has won 71% of her service games and 49% of her return games this season. She tasted her first victory as a world number 2 on Thursday, and now she will be hungry for more!

Ons Jabeur on the other hand, hasn’t yet won a trophy this year but she has reached four QFs in her previous tournaments this season. In her previous match, she defeated the Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova in three sets. Jabeur hit eight aces in that match and committed five double faults. Her first serve win percentage was 74% and her second serve win percentage was 61%. However, she could only convert four out of her six breakpoints against Noskova.

Looking at Ons Jabeur’s stats from this season, the ‘Minister of Happiness’ has hit 94 aces this season and committed 35 double faults. She has won 70.2% of her service games and just around 32.6% of her return games. Can she get back her winning momentum ahead of the Wimbledon?

Gauff vs Jabeur: Head-to-Head

Well, defeating the in-form world number two won’t be an easy task but Ons Jabeur is known for accomplishing the impossible things, right? Both of them have met each other on seven occasions on the Tour as of now. Currently, Coco Gauff leads the H2H with a 5-2 scoreline. Their first meeting was at the QF of the 2020 Top Seed Open and in that match, Gauff defeated Jabeur by 4-6,6-4,6-1.

Despite having an edge in the H2H, we all know what happened at their previous encounter in this same venue two years ago. That result may well give the Tunisian a fair bit of motivation before entering this enticing contest. If we take a look at the stats from their latest meeting in the 2024 French Open,  Ons Jabeur hit four aces and committed four double in that match. However, Coco Gauff could only manage to hit two aces in her two-set winner in the fourth-round clash, but she didn’t commit any double faults in that match.

Her first serve win percentage was 81% and on the second serve, it was 71% whereas for Jabeur it was 73% and 40% respectively. Ons Jabeur was 0/0 on the breakpoints but Coco Gauff converted four out of her eleven breakpoints against the Tunisian.

Prediction: Jabeur to win in three sets

Although Coco Gauff is in better form compared to Ons Jabeur this season, the Tunisian is a force to reckon with on this surface. This is what exactly keeps her a bit ahead in this contest. Coco Gauff has a win-loss record of 31-9 this season compared to just 14-11 of Ons Jabeur. Gauff is a ‘natural athlete‘ and she has an excellent defensive game. She can mix up her shots pretty well and has the ability to win longer rallies. Her mental toughness is what makes her quite different from other players.

On the other hand, Ons Jabeur is currently ranked number 10 in the world. She has a wide range of shots. She can hit backhand drop shots from the baseline and also has a strong forehand in her armory. The 29-year-old Tunisian tennis star will be looking forward to making full use of slice and drop shots to counter her 20-year-old American opponent in this match. Ons Jabeur on grass courts is a completely different player! So, she’s my pick in this epic contest.