Match of the Day: Jennifer Brady vs. Coco Gauff, Lexington semifinals

Yesterday, we said the Coco Gauff hype train showed no signs of slowing down. To little surprise, the prodigious 16-year-old delivered in a big way. After dropping the first set against Ons Jabeur, Gauff once again refused to lose, outlasting and frustrating the talented Tunisian with her remarkable foot speed and consistency.

In her opening round, she fought back from down 5-3 in the second set against Caroline Dolehide. In her second round, she neutralized arguably the biggest hitter in the game in Aryna Sabalenka, ultimately winning, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4. Gauff possesses a rare ability to grind her way through difficult situations and work her way deep into tournaments, much like her idol, Serena Williams.

The teenager will now face fellow American Jennifer Brady, a player who has flown quietly under the radar so far in her career, but has all the tools of a Top-20 player, and maybe beyond. Brady’s forehand is one of the game’s most intimidating weapons, with her racquet head speed enabling her to hit shots few players can produce.

Brady is ranked No. 49, but according to her UTR rating, she is the world’s 15th best player. She’s blitzed through the Lexington draw so far, and should be much fresher than Gauff. In her three matches en route to the semifinals, Brady has dropped just eleven games, and spent a grand total of three hours and twenty-two minutes on court. Gauff meanwhile, has spent over six hours and thirty minutes chasing balls in the hot Lexington sun.

Brady will likely be the aggressor throughout the match, and while defense may win championships in other sports, you need to mix in a little offense on the tennis court. It’s unwise to underestimate Gauff, but Brady has been playing at another level all week long.

The Pick: Jennifer Brady