Coco Gauff tops Sofia Kenin in Australian Open first round
MELBOURNE — Coco Gauff was given a solid workout by former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin but continued her lengthy winning streak to reach the second round in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-3 victory Monday on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff, the No. 3 seed who led the U.S. to a United Cup triumph in Sydney to kick off her season, was troubled as much by the bright sunshine and her own errors as Kenin’s game in a tricky first set, which she won with an ace after 44 minutes.
Kenin, who beat Gauff en route to the title in 2020, kept things interesting in the second set but missed an opportunity to break back for 4-4.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open Champion, pounced to break her fellow American for a fourth time and secured her 10th straight singles victory when Kenin sent a forehand wide.
“It was a tough match for me today but I’m happy with how I played. I could have served better but I could hardly see at (one) end,” said Gauff, who mixed 12 aces with nine double-faults for the match.
Gauff, whose best performance in Melbourne was a semifinal loss to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka last year, will next face Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: espn.com