“I think it was just time to do a reset” – Recently, Coco Gauff brought a change in her coaching team after her disappointing 2024 US Open campaign. She parted ways with Brad Gilbert and, as per the latest reports, Matt Daly has joined her team to work alongside her longtime coach Jean-Christophe (‘JC’) Faurel. Daly has been given the responsibility to work on her serve ahead of the China Open. Gauff will start her campaign at the China Open against France’s Clara Burel.

Can this new partnership help her bring success in the later stages of the season? We’ll perhaps get a hint in this R64 clash at the National Tennis Center, Beijing in just a few hours from now.

Coco Gauff vs Clara Burel: Preview

Gauff started her season by winning the title at the ASB Classic. After that, although she has made quite a few long runs, the 20-year-old American has failed to deliver when it matters the most. She is entering this tournament after a disappointing loss to her compatriot, Emma Navarro in the R16 of the US Open. Coco Gauff is clearly among the favorites to win this tournament in Beijing. Now it’ll be interesting to see how quickly she bounces back on the winning track to end her season on a higher note.

Clara Burel on the other hand has made four QF appearances this season. The most recent one came at the Tennis in The Land tournament. She started her campaign in Beijing with a win against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in the R128. She defeated Korpatsch by 6-3,5-7,6-3, what will be the scoreline in her next match? 

Gauff vs Burel: Head-to-Head

Both of these players have met each other only once in their careers so far, and guess what? It was in this year itself, and Coco Gauff got the edge over the French star at that time.

• 2024 Indian Wells Masters R64: Gauff 2-6,6-3,7-6(4).

Prediction: Gauff to win in straight sets

Although Coco Gauff has failed to win a title apart from the ASB Classic this season, her higher ranking in the singles event and also her superior win-loss record are what keeping her ahead in this contest at the moment. Gauff is currently ranked 6th in the world and has a win-loss record of 41-15. On the contrary, Clara Burel (56) has a win-loss record of just 17-22. Even in the H2H, we saw the American leading the Frenchwoman by a small margin. So considering all these factors, Coco Gauff looks favorite in this match.

We believe the slower courts in China will possibly give an edge to Gauff. If we take a look at their playing styles, Coco Gauff describes her playing style to be aggressive, but we often see her engaging in more of a defensive style of play during her matches. Along with her big serving abilities, she also has a lethal backhand to topple her opponents. However, her biggest strength is always he incredible athleticism with swift movements on the courts. Apart from that she can also mix up her shots pretty well and Gauff also has the ability to win longer rallies.

Her biggest weakness recently has been a high number of double faults in her matches. For example, she has hit 186 aces this season and committed near about 315 double faults in this season. Even at the 2024 US Open, we saw her committing 38 double faults. So, this is one of the biggest concerns in her game at the moment. 

On the other hand, Clara Burel has a decent baseline game. She is also an excellent mover on the court and can also mix up her shots intelligently. Her aggressive style of play along with powerful groundstrokes can cause some trouble for Gauff in this match, but is it enough to beat someone like Coco Gauff? Perhaps not! Both players are known for their never-give-up attitude, so be ready to witness some fireworks in this intriguing clash.