Teenage meets Experience as Coco Gauff and Barty Lock Horns: Ashleigh Barty and Cori Gauff are going to lock horns in the quarter-final in Rome. The American teen sensation has stunned the fans with a couple of exceptional wins against the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari.
Challenging Ashleigh Barty will be another daunting task for Coco Gauff, but she is not the only one that will be very cautious about that match since the Barty may also be sensing the clear and present danger that Coco poses.
After defeating Veronika Kudermetova, Ash Barty talked about tackling Coco Gauff and why the American rising star is such a tough opponent.
“Coco has demonstrated that she enjoys to bring her best tennis against the performers that challenge her the most. She’s played an excellent tournament thus far. She’s got the capability to take the game on. She’s assertive, she can run, she can trust her legs,” said Barty.
“I think it’s going to be crucial for me to try to get the game back on my terms as frequently as possible. I know when things start to go her way, the way she likes to play, she’s very dangerous and terrific at what she does. I think it’s going to be a brand new challenge, a fresh slate for both of us.”
Barty on her part has looked almost unstoppable since resuming the tour after a nearly one-year break. The Aussie juggernaut has been on a roll through the first quarter of 2021, accumulating titles at the Yarra Valley Classic, Miami and Stuttgart.
She did stumble at the final obstacle in Madrid, but Barty seems to be competing with rekindled vigor in Rome. Barty has registered dominating wins in her first couple of rounds, trouncing Yaroslava Shvedova and Charleston champion Veronika Kudermetova while giving away no more than six games per match.
Up next for Barty is the lively Coco Gauff, whose ball-striking and intelligence contradict her age.
Gauff has had a good start to the year, marked with a few notable performances here and there. A semifinal appearance at Adelaide and a couple of quarterfinals at Dubai and Charleston have propelled her to a career-top ranking of No. 35.
The 17-year-old has carried some of her impetus into Rome too. She began her campaign this week with a 3-set win over the tricky Yulia Putintseva. Denying to show any fatigue, Gauff battled for another 3 sets to oust seventeenth seed Maria Sakkari.
The American went on to record the 3rd top-10 win of her career in the Round of 16, as she dispatched Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
It is but obvious that Gauff would have got a huge boost of confidence with her recent accomplishments. She would now be considering her prospects of an upset against Barty too.
Ashleigh Barty and Coco Gauff will be meeting for the first time on the tour when they clash in Rome.
Given the stunning form she is in at the moment, Ashleigh Barty is the favourite to triumph in this battle of youth and experience. The Aussie’s incredible foot speed and diversity make her a perilous opponent for anybody on clay.
She has been serving well in this tournament, as is apparent from the 9 aces and 80% first-serve success rate she delivered against Kudermetova. Barty’s return game was also remarkable in the match, as she converted 6 of the 7 break point opportunities she got.
The top world seed has been doing practically everything right, and looks determined to grab her 2nd claycourt title of the year.
However, Coco Gauff will pose a unique challenge altogether. The teenager can move fast on clay and is a tenacious competitor, who has already acquired the art of being persistent before pulling the trigger.
Those qualities were noticeable in Gauff’s decisive win over the in-form Sabalenka, where she had 80% conversion on break points. She would be keen to remain in the same form against Barty.
That said, Barty is just too strong at this point in time. Gauff may have the means to make the match a contest, but continuously dealing with the Aussie’s slice-and-dropshot sequence might be too daunting a task for her at this age. That said this match can go either way, and the better player of the day will come out the winner.
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