Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Roland Garros match.
At just 21 years old, Coco Gauff has reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the fifth time, making her the second youngest player in history to achieve this milestone. Standing in her way is a tough challenge in the form of the experienced Madison Keys. The last time Keys reached this stage in Paris was in 2018, and now she is aiming to match that performance at a tournament that clearly holds great value for her opponent.
Madison Keys
Currently ranked No. 8 in the WTA standings, Madison Keys has not traditionally been the most consistent performer on clay, but this season she has displayed impressive form, having already captured a Grand Slam title with her triumph in Melbourne. On the clay this year, she boasts nine wins from twelve matches, although only five of those have concluded in fewer than 20 games. Her last two matches in Paris were against fellow Americans, and she even dropped a set to Sofia Kenin. Keys leads the head-to-head series against Coco Gauff (3-2), with three of those meetings going the distance — each time resulting in a Total Over 19.5 games.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff has returned to No. 2 in the WTA standings. This spring, she reached the finals in both Madrid and Rome, and has advanced through the first four rounds in Paris with relative comfort. However, her first serve has not been especially authoritative at Roland Garros — with a 62% success rate on first serves and a 66% win percentage behind it — and she has already committed 21 double faults. Matches against top-10 ranked players have proven to be a challenge for Gauff, as she has dropped at least one set in three of her last five encounters against such opposition.
Madison Keys vs Coco Gauff Prediction
While Coco Gauff comes into this match as the favourite based on her ranking and recent run of form, she faces a well-known and dangerous rival in Madison Keys, who has claimed two wins in their five previous meetings, including one on clay last season. A long and hard-fought match is anticipated, with the likelihood of it surpassing 19.5 games in total.
