The Stats Zone
January 20 2023, 22:21 · Adam Evans

Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff – Round of 16 – Preview & Prediction | 2023 Australian Open

Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff – Round of 16 – Preview & Prediction | 2023 Australian Open

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THE FACTS

When is Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff on and what time does it start? Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff will take place on Sunday 22nd January, 2023 – not before 02:00 (UK)

Where is Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff taking place? Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia

What surface is Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff being played on? Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff will take place on an outdoor hard court

Where can I get tickets for Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff

What channel is Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff on in the UK? Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff will be televised live on Eurosport

Where can I stream Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Jelena Ostapenko vs Coco Gauff live on their website, while Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go

THE LOWDOWN

JELENA OSTAPENKO

World number 17 Jelena Ostapenko has been playing herself into better form at the Australian Open with Friday’s blistering straight-sets victory over Kateryna Baindl seeing her take the last seven games without reply. The Latvian won her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros in 2017 just days after turning 20 years old and after a tricky few seasons before the pandemic she started coming back into her previous best in the summer of 2021, winning two of five WTA titles since. Ostapenko is through to the round of 16 in Melbourne for the first time but she has reached as far as the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2018, making the quarter-finals the season before.

COCO GAUFF

World number seven Coco Gauff is still yet to drop a set at the Australian Open after an assured performance over Bernarda Pera on Friday backed-up an overall impressive display against Emma Raducanu. The 18-year-old won her third WTA title at the Auckland classic two weeks ago to make it now eight wins in a row on tour, each in straight sets. Gauff finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Roland-Garros last summer in her first Grand Slam final, setting a career-high world ranking of fourth before later qualifying for both the singles and doubles at the WTA Finals.

THE PREDICTION

Coco Gauff beat Jelena Ostapenko in three sets to win her first WTA title at the Linz Open in 2019 at just 15 years old and that was not even the most impressive thing the phenomenon did that year after reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon. Four years on and the American, still a teenager for another year and two months, has already played at the year-end WTA Finals and reached a first Grand Slam final with a blistering game that, remarkably, still has plenty of room for improvement. Jelena Ostapenko will have to target Gauff’s sometimes questionable forehand to have any chance at winning here but the Latvian is not known for her tactical sensibilities, preferring to blast her opponents off the court with her incredible power. Backing Gauff to win outright is the suitable pick for an accumulator here but the American is good enough to take this in two.