BRISBANE: The U.S. Open winner, Coco Gauff, advanced to the semi-finals of the Auckland Classic on Friday, defeating Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-1, as she continued her remarkable journey to Melbourne Park’s first Grand Slam of the year.
The game was delayed due to rain, but Gauff defeated her French opponent in just 53 minutes once play got underway. The 19-year-old did not encounter a single break point on Friday and has not dropped a set in her title defense.
The world number three breezed through the first set and led 4-0 in the second before Gracheva held service
Gauff remarked, “I was focused on playing my game.” “I felt that my serving, which is something I’ve been focusing on during the off-season, was pretty good—possibly the best so far in the tournament. I’m rather pleased with my performance. I’m relieved that I managed to complete my match (ahead of any rain). Victoria Azarenka advanced to the round of four in the Brisbane International, a different warm-up match for the Australian Open, which is held from January 14–28. Her score was 6-3 3-6 7-5.
Also read: Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper hospitalised after head blow
“There are times when you just have to put on a helmet and try to stay in there with Jelena,” Azarenka said. She will next take on Daria Kasatkina or Aryna Sabalenka.
“But as we’ve seen numerous times, she’s an amazing player. As a Grand Slam champion, she has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to defeat any opponent on any given day.”
Later in the day, Australian Jordan Thompson will face Rafael Nadal in the men’s division as he looks to advance to the final four. Nadal is participating in his first competition following a protracted injury layoff.
