Looking for semifinal match predictions? Click here for all match previews.
Gauff vs Kostyuk Odds
| Gauff Odds | -800 |
| Kostyuk Odds | +550 |
| Over/Under | 18.5 (-132o / -102u) |
| Time | How to Watch | Monday, 9 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. For tips on how to watch tennis, click here. | |
Coco Gauff easily reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, defeating Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in her last round.
But how will Gauff fare against Marta Kostyuk, who destroyed Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 16?
Read on for my full Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk pick and expert preview.
Utilize our latest FanDuel promo code to get the most out of your Australian Open wagers.
Gauff Tearing Up Competition
In her victory over Frech, Gauff won 74% of her service points and didn't face a break point. The American also won 54% of her return points, breaking on five occasions.
It was another dominant victory for Gauff, who is now 9-0 to start the year, with all matches on hard courts. This includes a WTA title in Auckland earlier this month, where she beat Elina Svtiolina in the final. As a professional, Gauff is an impressive 118-53 on the surface.
Given that Frech was nervous and more erratic than usual, Gauff didn't need to be at her best in this match. But, the American still showcased excellent defense, rally tolerance and patience out there. And, when Gauff found an opening to hit a winner, she often took advantage.
Her ability to defend while still putting balls in uncomfortable positions for her opponents is superb. She anticipates where her opponents are going and has the foot speed and racquet-head skills to successfully neutralize her opponents' attacking groundstrokes, especially when that opponent lacks firepower, like Frech does.
And the American's backhand is a huge weapon, hitting with controlled aggression from that wing. Gauff can overpower her opponents with her backhand, placing the ball like it's on a string.
Gauff has a huge first serve, landing in the top-7 in this young season so far in aces, percentage of first serves won, service points won and service games won. And she's a strong net player, hitting cutting, well-placed volleys. Against Frech, Gauff won 12-of-15 net points.
When Gauff struggles, however, it's usually with her forehand. While she's done a better job so far in 2024 of shoring up this wing, she still lands too many balls short and lacks the control she has over her backhand. The American is particularly vulnerable on her forehand wing against opponents who can rush her forehand with power.
Kostyuk Dialing in Power
In beating Timofeeva, Kostyuk won 71% of her service points and went unbroken. In addition, the Ukrainian won 51% of her return points, breaking four times.
Kostyuk was in total control of the baseline, with the match on her racquet. Kostyuk's first serve came up big, as the Ukrainian won 72% of her first serves. And she used her punishing forehand to immediately put Timofeeva on defense.
Perhaps the key to the match was how Kostyuk limited her unforced errors, playing fairly clean tennis from the ground.
Kostyuk is now 7-2 on in 2024 (all on hard), with a strong 113-65 career-record on the surface. Last season, the Ukrainian went 22-16 on hard courts.
Kostyuk, as alluded to before, plays a power brand of tennis. She attempts to take time away from her opponents with her aggressive style, suffocating the opponent by shrinking the court as she dictates play.
The Ukrainian hits with easy power from both wings, displaying great pop on her groundstrokes. She positions herself aggressively on the court, trying to take time away from her opponents.
Kostyuk's main issue in her career has been her ability to hit with controlled aggression and try to rush points, leading to unforced errors. However, the patience and point construction that she displayed against Timofeeva is a good sign.
Gauff vs Kostyuk Pick
If Kostyuk is locked in remotely as much as she was against Timofeeva, her game can give Gauff some issues.
The Ukrainian has a big-enough serve to not allow Gauff to get into as many rallies as she would like. And, from the baseline, Kostyuk has the power to take Gauff out of her comfort zone.
The American is most comfortable when she's facing a player like Frech, who doesn't have any weapons to disrupt Gauff's game plan. Kostyuk has the firepower to rush Gauff on her more-vulnerable forehand wing, leading to more errors and short balls.
And Kostyuk is adept at finishing off short balls too. Not to mention that Gauff's forehand should sit right up in her strike zone, waiting to be smacked.
Finally, while Kostyuk's rally tolerance against Gauff's defense is a concern, with a total of just 18.5, the Ukrainian doesn't need to be at her top level all match to push this total over.
Pick: Over 18.5 games (-122)
