Patient Gauff counter-punches her way through resilient Raducanu to Australian Open R3
Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff met in the most-anticipated second-round match of the WTA draw at the 2023 Australian Open.
The match, which was played at the Rod Laver Arena, saw the 2021 US Open champion face off against current world no. 7 and last year's Roland Garros finalist. The two never met before and so fans were expecting a thrilling match as both complimented each other before their meeting.
After a terrible end of the last season, Gauff seems to be unstoppable in 2023. She didn't lose a single set in her six previous victories this season, and she wanted to keep the trend going also against Raducanu. Previously former coach of Serena Williams, Rick Macci, described the teenager as an Olympic sprinter with a tennis racket in her hand, and that's exactly what she showed against the British player.
Raducanu was the first player to have break points in the first set, but thanks to her counter-punching ability, the American saved those and immediately broke her opponent in the next game to grab a 3-1 lead.
Yet, Raducanu could break her opponent back, but couldn't avoid being broken again, as Gauff grabbed another break to lead 4-2. She then didn't lose that advantage to win the first set 6-3 in 43 minutes.
The teenager led by one break again in the second set as she was up already 4-2. But Raducanu showed her qualities once more to turn the things around. The Brit was up 5-4, when she had two set points, but she couldn't use those.
The second set reached a tie-break, and Gauff proved to be a better player in it, winning 7-4 and securing a third-round ticket at the 2023 Australian Open. She will await the 29th-seeded Qinwen Zheng or compatriot Bernarda Pera in the next round.
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