Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Beijing match.
Yulia Starodubtseva (115) continues her remarkable run in Beijing. She has already secured six consecutive victories. In the quarterfinals, she will face a top-10 level opponent for the first time in this tournament — Coco Gauff (6).
Yulia Starodubtseva
So far, Starodubtseva has been winning exclusively in two sets. The bet on total under 19.5 games came through in five out of her six matches. So, if she is indeed in such incredible form, the under bet might still work even in case of another upset. However, such an outcome is unlikely. Before this tournament, Yulia had only faced a top-10 opponent once. In the Australian Open, she played against Ons Jabeur and lost decisively (3:6, 1:6), conceding 12 break points in an hour.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is placing a high priority on the tournament in Beijing. She has arrived with a new coach to defend her ranking points. Last year, the American reached the semifinals, where she lost only to Iga Świątek. Gauff has beaten opponents outside the top 100 in straight sets five times in a row, so underestimating her here would be unwise.
Yulia Starodubtseva vs Coco Gauff Prediction
Reaching the semifinals is the minimum expectation for Gauff in this tournament. It would be surprising if a player of her level fails to achieve this goal when facing an opponent outside the top 100 in the quarterfinals. The favourite will demonstrate her class.
