WTA Recap: Coco Gauff Advances to Auckland Quarterfinals, Emma Raducanu Falls in Three Sets
Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old U.S. Open champion, smoothly defeated fellow teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-3, 6-0 at the Auckland Classic on Thursday, securing a spot in the quarter-finals against Varvara Gracheva (23) in this Australian Open warm-up event. tennis livescore
While Fruhvirtova (16) initially kept pace with Gauff, the American took control after securing a 3-2 lead. Gauff dominated the second set with a 5-0 lead, overcoming two break points while serving for the match to claim her first-ever victory against the Czech player. Reflecting on the match, Gauff mentioned, “(Fruhvirtova) started off playing really well, and I was able to raise my level. I thought I served well and did better on the returns, and I think I played a great match today.” tennis result
Playing in her first competition after an eight-month injury layoff, Emma Raducanu (21), a past Flushing Meadows winner, lost 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-1 against second seed Elina Svitolina, preventing her from making it to the round of eight.
Before Svitolina rallied to force a decider, Briton Raducanu won the first set of her match and led 3-1 in the second set tie-break.
In the third set, the Ukrainian stepped up her game to win the match and set herself up for a matchup with Marie Bouzkova. tennis livescore
In order to get to the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Park Grand Slam, which takes place from January 14–28, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Brisbane International.
The Latvian Ostapenko breezed through the opening set but appeared agitated as Pliskova battled back to win the second. Ostapenko will face former world number one Victoria Azarenka for a spot in the final four.
“I get really mad when I miss some important points and I get really angry at myself,” Ostapenko stated.
“I’m a fighter and I really want to play kind of perfect. But I know nothing is always perfect. It’s just the way I am.”
In a commanding performance, two-time champion Azarenka secured victory over France’s Clara Burel with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-2. The 34-year-old Belarusian asserted her dominance by taking a 4-1 lead in the opening set, although Burel managed to level the score. Reflecting on the match, Azarenka noted, “I aimed to be aggressive, coming to the net, but I sensed she had the upper hand. She executed some incredible passing shots and counter-attack balls.”