Cincinnati 2021: Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: (2) Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff

Date: 18 August 2021

Tournament: Western & Southern Open

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Cincinnati, United States

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $1,835,490

Match timing: Approx. 12 pm local time, 4 pm GMT, 9.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff preview

Naomi Osaka will face a stern test in her opening match at the 2021 Western & Southern Open, as she goes up against American teenager Coco Gauff on Wednesday. While Osaka received a bye in the first round courtesy of her seeding, Gauff brushed aside Hsieh Su-wei in her opener on Tuesday, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Osaka is playing on the WTA tour for the first time since Roland Garros, where she withdrew ahead of her second-round match against Ana Bogdan. The Japanese cited the need to safeguard her mental health while announcing a press conference boycott in Paris, which was followed by a long period on the sidelines.

Osaka made her comeback at the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is an ITF tournament rather than a WTA one. Playing in her home country, the four-time Slam champion fell in the third round to Marketa Vondrousova.

Interestingly, Osaka last lost a completed match at Cincinnati way back in 2018, when Maria Sakkari ousted her in the first round. The 23-year-old retired midway through her quarterfinal match against Sofia Kenin in 2019 and handed Victoria Azarenka a walkover ahead of the final in 2020.

Coco Gauff, meanwhile, is making her second main-draw appearance at the Western & Southern Open this year. She fell in the first round in 2020, losing to Maria Sakkari in straight sets.

That said, Gauff is a much-improved player in 2021 and enters this fixture with a 35-13 win-loss record for the season. A chunk of those wins have come on clay, with her best result on hardcourt being a semifinal run at the Adelaide International.

Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff head-to-head

The head-to-head between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff is currently tied at 1-1. Osaka and Gauff first met at the 2019 US Open, with the Japanese winning 6-3, 6-0.

Their next encounter was at the 2020 Australian Open, where the American beat the then-defending champion 6-3, 6-4 in the third round.

Naomi Osaka vs Coco Gauff prediction

Coco Gauff after beating Naomi Osaka at the 2020 Australian Open

While Naomi Osaka is the considerably more accomplished player than Coco Gauff on hardcourt, it remains to be seen if she is in a good space mentally after her tearful press conference on Monday. In her first presser since her Roland Garros withdrawal, Osaka struggled to keep her emotions in check while answering questions about her media activities.

Gauff will likely go for her shots early on Wednesday in order to put pressure on her older opponent. Having played only a handful of matches over the last few months, Osaka might struggle to find the range on her groundstrokes at the start.

The Japanese would be hoping to serve well so that Gauff doesn't gain too much momentum. But the American is more than capable of taking advantage of any rustiness on the part of Osaka and get her second career victory over the four-time Major champion.

Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.