WILL EVANS’ daily preview serves up French Open tips for a huge third-round battle between dark horse contender Coco Gauff and Grand Slam finalist Jennifer Brady.
French Open Tips – Coco Gauff V Jennifer Brady
23:00 (AEST), Sat 5th Jun @ Roland Garros, Paris
History: Played 1: Brady 1 V Gauff 0
First meeting: Top Seed Open, 2020 (SF): Brady d Gauff 6-2 6-4
Final Thoughts: It’s an all-American showdown at the French Open as 13th seed Jennifer Brady and 24th seed Coco Gauff square off in the third round.
Brady has progressed to the third round at Roland Garros for the first time via wins over Anastasijia Sevastova (6-3 6-3) and Fiona Ferro (6-4 2-6 7-5). The 26-year-old had some problems on serve against Ferro, dropping six service games, double-faulting six times and winning just 60 percent of her first-serve points.
A US Open semi-finalist in 2020 and the Australian Open runner-up this year, Brady has a modest singles résumé on clay. She did win the Stuttgart Open doubles with Ash Barty in April, however.
Gauff has book a spot in the round of 32 with a pair of hard-fought straight-sets victories. The 17-year-old wunderkind overcame Alekasandra Krunic (7-6 6-4) and Wang Qiang (6-3 7-6).
Since bursting onto the scene with a fourth-round appearance on Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2019, Gauff is yet to better that performance on the big stage. This is her first time beyond the second round at a major since the 2020 Australian Open.
Coco pops up as clay-court threat
Gauff announced herself as a French Open threat by winning the Emilia-Romagna Open last month – her second WTA title. She won the Junior French Open in 2018.
Brady is a $67 longshot to take out the French Open. Gauff is on the fourth line of title betting at $13. Barty’s second-round exit has opened up their section of the draw.
The compatriots have met once previously, in the semi-finals of the Top Seed Open in Lexington last year. Brady came away with a convincing 6-2 6-4 win on her way to the title.
But Gauff is in the best form of her short career and is better suited to the surface.
Tip: Games Handicap – Gauff -2.5 @ $1.78
FRENCH OPEN TIPS |
||
| Â MATCH-UP | ||
| Sofia Kenin V Jessica Pegula | Result – Kenin @ $1.78 | |
| Magda Linnette V Ons Jabeur | Games Handicap – Linette +4.5 @ $1.72 | |
| Maria Sakkari V Elise Mertens | Result – Mertens @ $2.12 | |