Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka are set to clash in a highly anticipated clash at the Australian Open. The two best players in the tournaments, will go head-to-head at the semi-final stage at the Rod Laver Arena. Gauff and Sabalenka have cruised through the tournament without much trouble and will now face their biggest challenge yet.
Coco Gauff has been in incredible form in 2024. After winning her maiden US Open title in New York, the American teenager has been the most in-form player on tour. Gauff started off the 2024 season with a title win in Auckland and has continued her great form in Melbourne. The 19-year-old has been cruising through the initial rounds of the tournament with straight set wins. However, the American needed three sets to get past Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals, to set up a clash with Aryna Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka has been dominant throughout the tournament. The world number 2 has dispatched all her opponents with ease and looked in total control. The 25-year-old is yet to drop a single set at the Australian Open 2024, having won all the matches in straight sets. Sabalenka’s most noteworthy win came in the third round against Lesia Tsurenko when she won 6-0, 6-0.
This semi-final match between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff has all the ingredients to be a classic. The winner of the match will be the favorite to lift the Australian Open title. Gauff enjoys a better head-to-head record against Sabalenka as she leads 4-2. SportsRush predicts Aryna Sabalenka to win the match in three sets.
The pair will face-off on Thursday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. local time. ESPN and Tennis Channel will stream the match in the USA. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-20s Celsius in cloudy conditions.
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka previous head-to-heads
Aryna Sabalenka is the defending champion at the Australian Open and has enjoyed great success so far. However, Gauff has got the better of the Belarussian on more than one occasion. The American teenage sensation has won the last contest between the duo in the US Open final. Gauff came back from one set down to win the final in front of her home crowd.
Sabalenka will hope to get one over Coco Gauff in the upcoming Australian Open semi-final. The Belarussian’s last win against Gauff came at the Indian Wells quarterfinals when she won in straight sets, while serving the American a bagel. With the world number 2, Sabalenka and world number 4, Gauff set to collide again, all eyes will be on the semi-final at the Rod Laver Arena.
