Coco Gauff has been safely through to the Australian Open round-of-16 after ousting Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2.
Early in the first set, the No. 3 seed missed out on two early break points but didn’t make the same mistake in the seventh game.
Up by a break, the American didn’t convert her first set point on the Canadian’s serve but closed out the set on her own service in the 10th game.
After sealing the opener, Gauff made an impressive start to the second set, claiming back-to-back breaks for a 3-0 lead.
While Fernandez managed to get one break back in the fourth game, the 20-year-old earned another break in the fifth game before serving out for the match in the eighth game.
During the match, the American fired five aces, 18 winners but also 25 unforced errors.
On the other side, Fernandez struggled to get anything going as the 2021 US Open runner-up sprayed 25 unforced errors and had only seven winners.
In her next match, the 2023 US Open winner plays against Belinda Bencic, who progressed via a Naomi Osaka retirement.
Coco Gauff© Australian Open/Instagram – Fair Use
What Gauff said after beating Fernandez?
“I think it was harder because she knew what to expect, and I definitely think she played a little bit different today than at the United Cup,” the No. 3 seed reflected.
“Leylah is a great competitor, great player, great person so I knew today was going to be a tough match regardless of the result a couple of weeks ago.”
Before the Australian Open, the American also beat the Canadian at the United Cup.
Now, the world No. 3 has an 8-0 record to start the 2025 season.
When Gauff takes on Bencic in her next match, it will be their third meeting – the head-to-head between them stands at 1-1.
Tennis World USA