Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa Prediction: Paula Badosa is destined for the Final

Coco Gauff, ranked 6th in the WTA ranking, will take on Paula Badosa, who is placed 19th in the WTA ranking, in a semi-final encounter that promises to be titanic between two players who arrive at the appointed hour with great ways. An outstanding performer this season, Coco has enjoyed many highs in 2024, while Badosa, upon her return from injury, has shown herself to be as determined as a trooper, with deft touches. Both competitors have had very good results in approaching this match, setting up an intense and high-quality fight.

While the recent run of form is pretty solid for Gauff--7 from her last 10, three losses still pinned some inconsistency particularly at key junctures in those three losses. A fightback win this one over Yulia Starodubtsewa, came 6-2, 2-6, 2-6; resolute but with 11 double faults and a first-serve percentage of 54% raised some concerns. Even with that, however, the winning of 79% of points on first serve underlined her dominance when getting the first serve in. Secondly, Gauff's return game-particularly second serves-continues to be much better at 55%, and her athleticism means she can defend well throughout the court.

That means a lot, as the percentage of winning her first serve is hugely high at 79%. But with her first-serve percentage falling of late, one of the keys for Gauff will be finding consistency to prevent Badosa from being able to take advantage of a weak second serve.

The actual aggression in the return of serve by Gauff-very much off second serves-is where one finds it. She will be looking to capitalize on Badosa's somewhat pressure-cooked second serve. Her speed and agile footwork down the baseline enable her to negate even the well-placed serves.

But under pressure, the forehand of Gauff can fold, and Badosa will definitely rely on depth and speed for testing. The American has to control the rallies by working Badosa around but avoid getting into a baseline, long exchanges where her forehand could become a liability.

Badosa heads into this semifinal in sterling form, having won 8 of her last 10 matches. She hasn't dropped a set in her last four matches, including a strong straight-sets win, 6-1, 6-7 over Shuai Zhang. Her powerful serving, marked by 10 aces and a first-serve percentage of 60%, will be critical against Gauff. Badosa has been excellent at protecting her serve, winning 81% of points on her second serve, while the aggressive returning-76% of second-serve return points won-will test the vulnerable Gauff's second serve.

One of the major weapons is the powerful first serve of Badosa. She has to maintain a high percentage of first serves if she wants to keep Gauff on the back foot. Free points off her serve will be very useful for her to avoid the exceptional return game of Gauff.

While Gauff is the more dynamic mover, the counterpunching game from Badosa can unsettle Gauff. Badosa does much of her best work when she is able to reset points, and she will look to disrupt the rhythm of Gauff by using deep, heavy groundstrokes to push Gauff back.

Given how vulnerable Gauff was off her second serve, taking only 42% against Starodubtsewa, Badosa will most likely step in and try to attack the returns early, especially the second serves, always piling the pressure on.

The head-to-head is 3-2 in favor of Badosa, but this was a hard-fought three-set match in Rome 2023 by the American. Both players have earned their spots in this semifinal with comparable momentum, but the inconsistency of Gauff on serve - specifically with the double faults and the low first-serve percentage - is a cause for grave concern. By contrast, Badosa's aggressive play and consistency on serve continue to improve throughout the tournament.

While Gauff is in fantastic form, the extended rallies that Badosa creates with her serve will again test the erratic Gauff forehand and second serve. If Badosa can maintain a high first-serve percentage and continue to dominate with her return game, she has the slight edge.

Both have been resilient, and long, protracted rallies have typified their last few matches. This match could well go to three sets or involve tight sets with tie-breaks, given that both are coming into this match in similar form. A high number of games- over 21.5- are expected.

Throughout the match, Gauff has been one of the better starters, many times blowing her opponents away with her explosion of energy. She could take the first set before Badosa adjusts her strategy.

• Over 21.5 Games @ 1.68 Odds
• Coco Gauff Wins First Set @ 1.70 Odds
• Paula Badosa Win 2-1 @ 4.50 Odds