Coco Gauff, 7th in the world, extinguished the resistance of the Czech Katerina Siniakova (46th) to beat her 6-1, 6-4 and thus qualify for the second round of the Australian Open, this Monday in Melbourne.
«I’m very happy with myself, I knew she would fight until the endcommented the 18-year-old American.
In the next round, she will face Briton Emma Raducanu (77th), winner of the US Open 2021.
Gauff completed the first set in a breeze, losing only four points on her face-off. But the second was much more hung and it was Siniakova who took the advantage by scoring the break to lead 4 2.
Gauff, however, lined up three games in a row to move ahead 5-4 and serve for the match.
She immediately offered herself three match points (40/0), without managing to conclude. Siniakova then had three break points, but ended up conceding defeat on the seventh match point.
Finalist last year at Roland-Garros, Gauff never passed the round of 16 in Melbourne where she lost in the first round in 2022.