It is interesting to see how fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, especially in tennis. A few days back, Coco Gauff was reeling with poor form and had won just 1 title before the China Open. However, the Asian Swing of the WTA Tour proved to be fruitful for her as she won the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. With her eyes set on another title win, Gauff has made a confident entry into the Wuhan Open, another WTA 1000 tournament.

However, Gauff’s path isn’t the easiest here. She will face the 13th seed, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the round of 16. It’ll be an interesting battle between the two young stars.

Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk: Preview

The American sensation is on a roll of late, winning 9 of her previous 10 matches. Gauff’s previous loss came in the US Open quarterfinals and since then, she has already won 7 matches in a row. While form is on Gauff’s side now, the 2024 season has seen major transitions for her. She parted ways with her coach Brad Gilbert and replaced him with Matt Daly after the US Open. And it translated into results straightaway, as she won her second title of the season in Beijing. The 20-year-old will be looking to add further to her tally, as she takes on Kostyuk in Wuhan.

While Coco Gauff has won two titles in 2024, Kostyuk is yet to taste any title success this year. Nonetheless, some consistent performances have ensured her place in the top 20 of the WTA rankings. Recent form, however, hasn’t been great for the Ukrainian star. She bowed out of the China Open in the second round and had a near defeat against Elina Avanesyan in the first round in Wuhan. Looking to change her fortunes, Kostyuk will come out all guns blazing against Gauff.

Gauff vs Kostyuk: Head-to-head

Both Gauff and Kostyuk are two of the top young talents on the WTA circuit right now. They have been playing at the top level for quite some time now and have often come up against each other. Precisely speaking, Gauff and Kostyuk have played three matches against each other, with the American star winning two of them.

While their first battle was way back in 2022 at the Adelaide International, Coco Gauff and Kostyuk have played twice against each other this year. However, it was Kostyuk who won their last encounter in Stuttgart. As a result, Gauff will be up for revenge when they face each other tomorrow.

Prediction: Gauff to have it easy against Kostyuk

There can be no stopping Coco Gauff when she is on a roll. She is ranked 4th in the WTA rankings whereas Kostyuk lies on the 17th spot. Further, the American star also has a superior win-loss record this year, winning 74% matches as against Kostyuk’s 63%. However, this isn’t the only thing that may go Gauff’s way.

Although serve continues to be a worry for her, Gauff has more than compensated for her weakness with her strong return game. In the second-round victory in Wuhan, Gauff won more than half of the return points. She is expected to win the match against Kostyuk in straight sets and keep her winning streak going. Their battle will take place on the Center Court tomorrow.