Coco Gauff was twice some extent away from being pushed to a 3rd set by Emma Raducanu at the Australian Open however steadied herself and went on to a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory Wednesday in the primary head-to-head assembly between two younger stars of tennis.

“This was a long-anticipated matchup,” stated the seventh-seeded Gauff, who was the runner-up to No. 1 Iga Swiatek on the French Open final June. “Basically since the draw came out.”

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The 18-year-old from Florida moved into the third spherical at Melbourne Park for the primary time since 2020. She is the youngest seed in the ladies’s subject.

Raducanu, a 20-year-old who represents Britain, has not made it previous the second spherical at a Grand Slam event since she received the 2021 U.S. Open as a teen. That made her the primary qualifier to say a serious trophy.

Currently ranked 77th, Raducanu has been coping with an ankle damage. Yet she was so near extending this match, holding a pair of set factors whereas forward 5-4 in the second set.

On the primary probability, Raducanu sailed a backhand lengthy. On the second, she dumped an tried drop shot into the web.

That helped Gauff maintain serve there. More miscues by Raducanu tilted the tiebreaker — and the match — Gauff’s approach.

“I just told myself,” Gauff stated, “to hang in there.”

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