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Coco Gauff has laid down her marker as an Australian Open contender with a straight-sets second-round win over grand slam title graduate Emma Raducanu.
The 18-year-old American, final yr’s Roland Garros runner-up, impressed along with her grit and composure as she saved two set factors within the second set towards the 2021 US Open champion in an entertaining 6-Three 6-6 (7- 4) victory.
Seventh-seeded Gauff is brimming with confidence after claiming silverware on the ASB Traditional in Auckland and Wednesday evening’s conflict was an vital check as she eyes a grand slam breakthrough.
“I simply advised myself to hold in there,” Gauff stated.
“Emma was enjoying actually good tennis in direction of the top of the match and actually the entire match was nice
“We each began off rocky however I feel the match was a superb high quality for probably the most half.
“Contemplating the circumstances, I can think about each of us had been nervous – this was a long-anticipated match-up mainly because the draw got here out.
“At grand slams, you need to win seven matches and whenever you go into the match you need to count on to play the perfect.
“Clearly you hope it is not within the second spherical however what are you able to do? I am glad each of us had been in a position to deal with the strain fairly nicely.”
The teenage ace will subsequent play both 29th seed Zheng Qingwen or fellow American Bernarda Pera.
Gauff claimed the primary set then had a break and led 2-1 within the second and appeared set to cruise to victory, whereas Raducanu was persistently grimacing and reaching for her stomach.
However Raducanu all of a sudden kicked into gear.
The 20-year-old Brit had two set factors when receiving at 5-Four however spurned each, together with hitting an tried drop shot into the online for her second.
She would rue her inefficiency as Gauff rapidly seized management within the tiebreak, racing away to 4 match factors and changing her third.
The second-round exit compounds a tricky begin to Raducanu’s season after she needed to retire with an ankle damage in Auckland.
-AAP
