Coco Gauff extended her unbeaten start to 2025 to seven matches and 14 sets as she reached the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion and a semifinalist at Melbourne Park a year ago, hit a rough patch in the second set, struggling with double faults and dropping four games in a row before breaking up. at 3-1 to a break at 5-3. But when Burrage served for the second set, Gauff regained control and used a four-game run of his own to end the match.
“It was tough. She was serving really well, so I was just trying to make that happen, honestly,” said the third-seeded Gauff. “She really raised her level in the middle of the second set, so I just tried to be offensive when I could.”
Gauff hit six of her seven double faults in the second set, but was generally much steadier at the baseline, finishing the match with 11 unforced errors, compared to 37 for Burrage.
Each of Burrage’s last two service games ended with a double fault; there were two in a row making it 6-5. From there, Gauff completed the job while continuing to try to find improvements with her serve and forehand, two shots she’s been focusing on since late last season.
“She returned well, so it put pressure on my serve,” Gauff said. “If I landed a little short, she landed a winner.”
Add four straight victories on his way to the title at the WTA Finals in November – including victories over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek – and Gauff’s winning streak now stands at 11 matches.
Another part of that run was a victory in the United Cup team competition against the 20-year-old American’s next opponent: Leylah Fernandez, runner-up to Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open. Fernandez came back on Wednesday to beat Cristina Bucsa with 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.