British number one Emma Raducanu is out of the Australian Open after losing 6-3, 7-6 to teenager Coco Gauff. The 18-year-old American picked up her 100th WTA main draw win, but it was a night of missed opportunities for the Brit, who wasted a set point after a terrific comeback in the second set.
The American stormed through the first set, as the US Open champion struggled to get into the match. The two young stars traded long rallies but ultimately Gauff held her nerve in the key moments. It was Gauff’s extra match experience - despite being 18 months younger than her opponent - that counted.
At the age of 18, she’s played twice as many Grand Slams and 50 more professional games than Raducanu, and that was the difference between the two in a well-fought contest. Gauff broke early to take a 3-1 lead as Raducanu put herself under immense pressure in the opening stages. From that point, the pair were evenly matched, trading point for point, but again the American held on when she needed to.
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With Raducana 5-3 down, she had two break points to get herself back into the set, but lost them both as the first set slipped away from her. When Gauff got the chance at set point, she made no mistake.
That was the key difference between the two players. Their rallies were so even as they traded base-line shots that often each game came down to key moments. In those moments, Raducanu was wasteful and Gauff was clinical. That ruthless nature we saw from the British 20-year-old in her US Open success seems to have deserted her in recent tournaments.
In the dramatic second set, Raducanu once again struggled on her serve, as she was broken once more. Something seemed to be seriously wrong with the Brit’s serve, as she was picked off by an opponent who had the bit between her teeth.
Yet, when it looked like this match has slipped away from her, she dug in. She found her range with her serve and then managed to overwhelm Gauff to break her, and level the scores at 4-4. That break was sealed with a double fault and all of a sudden, the relaxed American began to tense up.
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As Gauff served to stay in the match, Raducanu was all over her, and was even given the chance to level the scores with a set point. However, as was the running theme throughout, she wasted that opportunity by hitting a backhand long. When it looked like Gauff had been rattled, Raducanu let her off the hook.
It was a point she would come to regret, as the 18-year-old held her serve to get to a tie-break. Even then, the Brit missed a huge opportunity to take a mini-break as she missed a simple volley. Gauff didn’t look back from that point as she raced to a two sets to love victory, 6-3, 7-6.
It’s another second-round exit for the British number one, who hasn’t got past this stage since she won the US Open in 2021. But she went toe-to-toe with one of the best youngsters in the world and just lost out in the big moments. Her clinical nature will have to return if she is to go deep into a Grand Slam once again. Judging by their first meeting, if these two are the future of women’s tennis for the next decade, we are in for a treat.
