ASB Classic draw: Serena Williams could play Coco Gauff in quarterfinals
By Chris Myson
Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Caroline Wozniacki are among the WTA Tour stars who have learned their opponents in the draw for the upcoming ASB Classic.
The draw for the ASB Classic has been made and it has brought us closer to a historic first meeting between Serena Williams and Coco Gauff.
Serena, 38, and Gauff, 15, spent preseason training together and are two of the biggest stars in women’s tennis at the opposite ends of their respective careers.
The two Americans have never played a competitive match against each other before, but if they are able to win their first two matches in Auckland, that occasion will come in the quarterfinals.
The tournament runs from January 6 until January 12 and also includes Caroline Wozniacki, Amanda Anisimova and defending champion Julia Goerges.
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US Open champion Bianca Andreescu was also scheduled to play but the Canadian pulled out to continue her recovery from a knee injury, promoting Serena to the top seed.
Serena is teaming up with Wozniacki in the doubles tournament at the Auckland event too, with Gauff also taking part in that competition with partner Caty McNally.
The first-round singles opponent for Serena is another veteran player, Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 34-year-old Russian who is a two-time major winner.
Serena has played Kuznetsova 13 times before, winning 10 and losing three, though they have not played since Williams won a meeting in straight sets back in 2016 at Wimbledon.
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If Serena wins that, the round two match would be against either Christina Mchale or a qualifier, after which Gauff could be waiting in the last eight.
Gauff would also have to win two matches to book a meeting with Serena. She will play Slovakia’s Viktoria Kuzmova, world-ranked 56 and someone she has never taken on before.
The teenager would then have to beat either former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko or Laura Siegemund in round two.
The returning Anisimova will start against Kateryna Kozlova, while Wozniacki will begin the penultimate tournament of her career against wildcard Paige Hourigan.
Petra Martic, the number two seed, will take on Alison Van Uytvanck and Goerges is scheduled to meet a qualifier.
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The prospect of a meeting between Serena Williams and Coco Gauff is a nice bonus on the first week of the new WTA Tour season, with the ASB Classic one of three events taking place as players begin to prepare for the Australian Open.