January 16, (THEWILL) – American teenager, Coco Gauff, has begun her Australian Open campaign in style, defeating Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova in straight sets, to advance to the second round.
The world number seven, who won the ASB Classic title in Auckland last weekend, needed just one hour and 16 minutes to secure a 6-1 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff, who is yet to drop a set in 2023, displayed a confident performance, winning 87% of her first serve shots and sealing the opening set in just 23 minutes. Siniakova put up more of a fight in the second set, going a break up to take a 4-2 lead, but Gauff broke back in the next game and managed to come back from 40-30 down to win three points in a row and move within a game of the second round.
Despite squandering four match points, Gauff eventually sealed the victory on her seventh match point with a backhand winner at the net. She will now face Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the next round on Wednesday, in their first ever meeting.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
