Can super-talented Gauff upset the dominator?
Who will lift the trophy at the French Open 2022 on Saturday afternoon at the Bois de Boulogne? The great dominator Iga Swiatek and Cori Gauff, the American tennis prodigy, will face each other on Court Philippe Chatrier. Swiatek could triumph for the second time in the city of love, while for Cori Gauff the final in Paris will be her biggest match of her young career so far.
In doing so, Cori Gauff could help her great role model Venus Williams to remain the sole record holder. At the beginning of the 21st century, Venus Williams won 35 WTA matches in a row, a mark that Iga Swiatek can equal on Saturday. After 34 wins in a row, the self-confidence is almost endless and for the bookmakers the starting position is more than clear. Odds of 1.15 are offered for Swiatek’s win over Gauff.
In their semi-final matches on Thursday afternoon, both ladies had no problems and celebrated clear victories. There will definitely be no fitness problems in the final of the French Open 2022. Swiatek dropped one set on her way to the final, while Gauff was completely unscathed.
Iga Swiatek – Statistics & current form
As a 19-year-old, Iga Swiatek won the later-round French Open in the autumn of 2020, trumping long-time top player Agnieszka Radwanska to win a Grand Slam tournament. The surprise retirement of Ashleigh Barty this season saw her become the new world number one overnight and she is now the absolute standard.
43 wins in 46 matches
Just a few days ago Swiatek celebrated her 21st birthday and given her incredible dominance this season, she brings everything to break several records in the coming years. The first opportunity comes on Saturday afternoon when they can win their 35th consecutive match. The last time Swiatek conceded defeat was on 16 February against Jelena Ostapenko.
Since then, victory after victory has followed victory and the young Pole has won the titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. The French Open could thus be her sixth title win in a row. In the semi-final against Daria Kasatkina she was in action for only 64 minutes and did not give the 25-year-old Russian the slightest chance, celebrating a commanding 6:2 and 6:1 victory. The Pole gave up just eleven points on her own service.
Unsurprisingly, Swiatek was highly satisfied during the on-court interview and stated that she is improving from match to match and feels more comfortable. With these incredible statistics, the betting on the favourite in the final between Swiatek and Gauff is obvious. For another 2:0, maximum betting odds of 1.43 are currently being offered.
Cori Gauff – Statistics & Current Form
Not only Iga Swiatek will cause a lot of furore in women’s tennis in the future, but definitely also Cori “Coco” Gauff. The US American, who is reminiscent of the Williams sisters both visually and in terms of her playing style, has been a fixture on the WTA Tour for some time now. However, it should not be forgotten that Gauff only celebrated her 18th birthday in March. At the tender age of 14, Gauff made her first appearance on the WTA Tour, and by the time she was 15, she had already won her first WTA title in Linz.
Gauff without losing a set
With the 18-year-old teenager’s style of play reminiscent of the Williams sisters, it’s still a little surprising that she’s celebrating her biggest triumph to date on the red clay. Gauff has an extremely powerful game and a very strong serve. Gauff tends to feel a little more comfortable on the hard courts of this world.
But at GS level, Paris seems to suit her much better. Last year she reached her first quarter-final at a major tournament, but failed there to beat the eventual winner Barbora Krejcikova. This season, Gauff did not necessarily come to Paris with great expectations, she had only a slightly positive 14:10 match record before the tournament.
In Paris, Gauff not only celebrated six wins in a row, but also presented herself as untouchable. Gauff has not yet lost a single set. The eight games of compatriot Sloane Stephens in the quarter-finals was the highest number of games the teenager had to surrender. Against Italian clay court specialist Martina Trevisan, Gauff took command from the start. After 90 minutes, she won 6:3 and 6:1.
Despite the very clear victory for the young American, the high odds for betting on the outsider in the final between Swiatek and Gauff are justified. Swiatek’s game is clearly more variable and dangerous on the red clay.
Iga Swiatek – Cori Gauff Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to Head: 2:0
The two young ladies have already faced each other twice on the WTA Tour, with Poland’s Iga Swiatek coming out on top both times. Last year, Swiatek won 7-6 and 6-3 on the clay court in Rome, and this season she won 6-3 and 6-1 on the hard court in Miami against the 18-year-old Cori Gauff.
Iga Swiatek – Cori Gauff Tip
Daria Kasatkina was also convincing all along the line and marched into the semi-finals without losing a set, but there she didn’t stand a chance against Iga Swiatek. Will Cori “Coco” Gauff suffer the same fate? At least in the final between Swiatek and Gauff, the prediction on the US-American is not realistic. Swiatek is at least a notch above the rest of the Tenins ladies and the clear favourite is absolutely justified.
The teenager from the USA has struggled with mixed performances in 2022 so far, but presents himself in captivating form in Paris. The 2022 French Open will certainly not be her last GS final, but winning the title comes too soon. Despite the clear role of the favourite and the tendency towards the world number one, we will recommend a match between Swiatek and Gauff with the prediction “Gauff +5.5 Games”.
Gauff plays very carefree and can definitely keep up as a return player. She will not win, but a similar clear Swiatek victory as in most matches of the last week/months is not to be expected. A 6:4 and 6:3 would already be enough for Gauff +5.5 Games to prove correct.
