Coco Gauff vs Qinwen Zheng WTA Finals Prediction Tennis Picks 11/9/24

Despite finishing second in her group after losing to Barbora Krejcikova in the last round-robin match and having what appeared to be the sternest of semifinal showdowns against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff was unfazed.

The young American obliterated the Belarusian in straight sets to get a measure of revenge for her two defeats this season to the same opponent, most notably in Wuhan. This time, Gauff was able to finish the job once she got the lead. She broke Sabalenka six times in total, and once while she served for the first set, which Gauff won in a tie-break.

The second set was a complete shambles by the three-time Grand Slam champion, where her serve malfunctioned badly. For Gauff, her first trip to Riyadh has yielded the best possible result, which is a final, and she can try to win her biggest WTA title outside of a Grand Slam.

But it will be no easy task in the final as she comes up against the golden girl of Chinese tennis, Qinwen Zheng. The Paris gold medalist defeated Krejcikova in the first semifinal of the day, also in straight sets. 

The match took 21 games to decide, with Zheng compiling nine aces and winning 78% of first-serve points. The World No. 7 converted four of seven break points in the victory.

Coco Gauff vs Qinwen Zheng Head-To-Head

• Coco Gauff leads Qinwen Zheng 1-0 in their head-to-head. She won their only meeting at the 2024 Italian Open in Rome in straight sets.

Coco Gauff vs Qinwen Zheng Prediction

Zheng has a habit of overperforming in these big tournaments. She's done that when you least expected it, most notably at the Australian Open and the Olympic Games. Once more, she's doing it at the WTA's year-end tournament, where the prize money for the champion is the highest in WTA history. 

There is a lot to like about her game. It's a blend of massive serve and an explosion of power. But what she doesn't do so well is that she can be a bit inconsistent in rallies and doesn't defend exceptionally well as Gauff. The American moves well in these courts and has good feel about the pace of the court. She's been better than Zheng at this tournament, coming off with wins over Swiatek and Sabalenka. That for me makes her the favorite for the title.