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British No. 1 Emma Raducanu pushed past teenager Coco Gauff but lost in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Raducanu was trying to beat a top 10 player for the first time, and it was a fierce punching contest that produced sporadic moments from both women – as well as plenty of mistakes.
The Englishman, ranked 70th below Gauff, grew into the match and was the better player in the second set but was unable to take two set points and lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Although he is more than a year younger than his rival, Gauff has more experience after a steadier rise in the ranks and is one of the favorites to win the tournament.
Raducanu was again wearing tape on his left ankle when he came out for his debut against Laver, who was covered on a bad day in Melbourne.
He fell 0-30 in the opening service game but fought back to hold on. Gauff was then forced to save a couple of break points with some huge servings in the third game as both players settled in a captivating clash between the two biggest stars in the women’s game.
The American, who reached her first Grand Slam final at last year’s French Open, broke to 3-1 but she quickly relinquished the advantage when a double fault handed the initiative back to England at the fourth time of asking.
Raducanu looked to target Gauff’s forehand but he missed his own forehand as a costly error put his opponent ahead 4-2.
The 18-year-old has three games in a row thanks to an impressive hold of serve to close in the open set.
Gauff, who arrived in Melbourne after claiming the Adelaide International title, saved three more break points while serving for the set before finally sealing it with a thunderous first serve.
Raducanu’s gameplan to press Gauff backfired, and he committed a total of 21 unforced errors.
A double fault from Raducanu gave Gauff an early break in the second set. The world number 77 walked back to the chair holding his left abdominal muscle.
He looked compromised due to stomach strain while serving but Gauff remained focused to open up a 4-2 advantage with a bigger serve.
However, in a dramatic turnaround, the horror game of Gauff gave Raducanu a break for 4-4 with the Briton quickly consolidating in the next.
Suddenly Gauff looked hesitant and Raducanu created two chances at 5-4 to force a decider, only to overcook his forehand in the first and drop a drop shot into the net in the second.
Gauff continued to force a tie-break and used tremendous defensive strength to frustrate his opponent before winning the third match point.
The former US Open champion hasn’t made it past the second round of a Grand Slam since his heroics in New York, but he shouldn’t be too disappointed with another early exit.
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