Olympics Tennis Day Five Tips: 8/13 Croatian a good thing in Paris

• Vekic wiped the floor with Gauff

• Impressive run of form from Vekic

• Kostyuk's form makes the Croatian a bet

I was mightily impressed by Donna Vekic's performance against Coco Gauff. The Croatian was smacking the life out of the ball, and it overwhelmed the second seeded American.

Gauff had no response to a flurry of winners coming off her opponent's racket, and it is a long time - if ever - that Vekic has strung together a run of form this consistent.

Vekic has always had the ammunition but piecing it together match after match, and keeping it together mentally has been all too often her undoing.

Confidence in Vekic following huge win

The Croatian proved something to herself at Wimbledon. Vekic has picked up belief in her game. She was very unlucky not to reach the final of that Grand Slam having built a winning position only for her body to let her down against Jasmine Paolini.

It would have been very easy for Vekic to return to her normal inconsistent ways but she has been locked in at this Olympics, and her form against Gauff was exceptional.

In that match-up you would expect Gauff to draw the errors, and to get under the skin of Vekic. But it didn't happen.

There was even an incident in the second set where a controversial line-call went against Gauff and it warmed the crowd up towards booing Vekic. She was rattled briefly, but she rode through the storm saving triple break point to end the Gauff challenge.

It wasn't decided by soft Gauff errors either. Sure, the American piled in with a couple of double faults but she was forced into ambitious second serves such was the quality of Vekic's return game. She was smacking the ball cleanly and the match always felt like it was on her racket.

I do believe the conditions amplified Vekic's ease of victory as it was an exceptionally hot day - pushing 35 degrees plus - and it benefitted her attacking game.

It will be cooler today and there is rain expected at some point, but Vekic has won in these conditions already in this tournament. She will also have the benefit of playing under the roof on the Philippe Chatrier court this evening that should protect her radar from going off course because of the elements.

Kostyuk's inconsistency

Opponent Marta Kostyuk also scored an impressive upset victory in her last match by defeating Maria Sakkari.

However, her performance could not contrast more with that of Vekic. Kostyuk's win was scrappy and it was nervy, and she merely kept the car on the road a bit more steadily than Sakkari.

The extra security of Kostyuk's game got her over the line, but it wasn't exactly a win gained through an impressive form showing.

Kostyuk will have to play a good deal better than she has done because Vekic is playing too well. Her previous two wins at this event were also scrappy and nervy.

Vekic on the other hand was able to defeat Bianca Andreescu before she toppled Gauff, and if you are beating the Canadian that is a very good measure of form. Andreescu mixes up her game and really tests your level. Unfortunately for her she tends to play big hitters into form with recent losses to Jasmine Paolini and Liudmila Samsonova inspiring an upkick in level.

Vekic and Kostyuk played very recently, and it just so happened to be at Roland Garros in which Vekic won 7/5 6/4 on a windy day. That match was chaotic because of the conditions but Vekic's weaponry and ability on return is what won her the day.

The steadier conditions expected today - especially if it is under the roofed enclosure - are only likely to favour the cleaner hitter of the two. Vekic's price is being backed in since opening but I still think at 8/131.61 she is a good thing.

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