Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko US Open Odds, Pick, Predictions | US Open Preview

Gauff vs Ostapenko Odds

Coco Gauff won a tough match against Caroline Wozniacki, defeating the Dane 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, and she'll now come up against Jelena Ostapenko in the US Open quarterfinals.

How will Gauff fare against Ostapenko, who just beatWorld No. 1 Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in a big-time upset victory.

Read on for my US Open preview ahead of Coco Gauff vs Jelena Ostapenko.

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Gauff Keeps Finding Ways to Win

Gauff has dropped a set in three of her four matches so far in New York, but her perseverance has been inspiring.

In her round-of-16 showdown against Wozniacki, despite winning just 48% of her second serves and getting broken three times, Gauff won 70% of her first serves. The American also won 47% of her overall return points, breaking five times.

Gauff matched Wozniacki's baseline consistency while also having the biggest weapon on the court in her backhand. She also used her speed and athleticism to help neutralize points when the Dane attempted to attack.

She is now 42-13 overall in 2023 with a 31-6 hard-court record this season. During the summer hard-court swing Gauff is 15-1 with titles at Washington and Cincinnati. For her career, the American is an impressive 100-50 on the surface.

Gauff's game is centered around her first serve, which is well-placed and hit with pace, along with her backhand. The American hits with controlled aggression from her backhand wing.

Her speed, anticipation and athleticism on court make her an excellent defender, and she's able to turn defense into offense quickly. She's also strong at the net and is getting better about recognizing the right moments to move forward.

However, while Gauff is hitting her forehand a bit better than in year's past, she still leaks errors from that wing and hits it loopy and short in the court. This tournament, the American has been hot and cold with her forehand.

Gauff's second serve also sits up in the box, waiting to be smacked.

In addition, opponents with a lot of power can rush Gauff's forehand wing, which exacerbates problems from that side. Players with overwhelming power and good ball striking also help mitigate Gauff's defensive skills, as she can't keep up with every big hitter she faces.

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Ostapenko's Power is Overwhelming

Ostapenko might have only won 25% of her second serves and was broken four times against Swiatek, but she did win 73% of her first serves. She was also all over Swiatek's serve, winning 51% of her return points and breaking on seven occasions.

She was on fire from the ground, hitting 31 winners compared to 20 unforced errors. Ostapenko took the racquet out of Swiatek's hands at times, overwhelming the Pole with pure pace.

The Latvian is 32-16 overall on the season, with a strong 17-10 record on hard. Ostapenko is 5-2 during the summer hard-court swing, although she was just 1-2 in the lead-up to the US Open. As a professional, Ostapenko is a solid 194-140 on hard courts.

Ostapenko plays high-risk tennis, but when she's locked in there are very few players on tour that can stop her. Ostapenko hits her first serve well and follows it up with punishing groundstrokes from both wings.

When she's playing well, Ostapenko can completely overwhelm her opponents with her firepower, including her ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court.

The Latvian isn't the best on defense, though, and can lose her rally tolerance for stretches of any match that she plays. But often it doesn't matter, as when Ostapenko is locked in from the ground – as she was against Swiatek – then there's nothing that any opponent can do about it.

And, while defensive players can sometimes force Ostapenko to overhit, often it doesn't matter who is on the other side of the net, as the Latvian has enough power to hit through anyone.

Gauff vs Ostapenko Pick

The head-to-head is tied 1-1, but Ostapenko destroyed Gauff in a similar spot at the Australian Open earlier this season.

That match in Australia demonstrated a lot of my concerns for Gauff in this matchup. Her speed and defensive skills weren't nearly enough to blunt Ostapenko's aggressive groundstrokes and the Latvian bullied Gauff around the court.

Ostapenko was able to rush the American's forehand, leading to Gauff melting down from that side. And when Gauff puts her loopy forehands short in the court, there's few better than Ostapenko about making her opponents pay for such shots.

Now, with Ostapenko in a similar form and with the pressure of being the favorite in the quarterfinals of the US Open on Gauff's shoulders, the American is on upset alert.

Pick: Ostapenko to win a set (-134)