Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk Preview & Tips - Gauff to take her place in Cincinnati Open semi-final

Marta Kostyuk came from 1-0 down against Mirra Andreeva as she secured a hard-earned 4-6 6-0 6-2 triumph. 

Her opening match against Liudmila Samsonova saw Gauff lose the first set 6-2. With a big shock on the cards, Gauff rallied well to storm to a 2-6 6-4 6-1 triumph. Clearly spurred on by her opening win, Gauff has gone about dismantling Ann Li 6-1 7-6 and Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-2. 

Her trio of wins has swelled her tally of victories this season to 37, with 13 outings ending in defeat. On hard courts, Gauff boasts 22 wins in 29 matches in 2026, and while I predict that she will have to dig deep to win this one, I back her quality to shine through as she moves into the semi-finals. 

Against Sofia Kenin and Mirra Andreeva, Kostyuk has had to bounce back from losing the first set 6-4. While she has managed this on both occasions, continually leaning on winning consecutive sets after losing the first is not an ideal strategy. 

Against Sloane Stephens in the second round, Kostyuk was not taken to a third set, but she was forced to really fight for her 7-5 7-5 win. All three meetings have showcased Kostyuk's ability to come out on top in tight matches, but she now takes on a player in scintillating form. I back Kostyuk to take a set from Gauff, but I do not tip her to come out on top as she is eliminated in the quarter-finals.