Coco Gauff navigated a tough test in the second set from Jodie Burrage to win 6-3 7-5 and reach the third round of the Australian Open.
Gauff took the opening set inside 35 minutes at Rod Laver Arena, but her British opponent made life much harder in the second.
Yet after breaking Gauff twice on the spin to put herself into a 5-3 lead, Burrage was unable to capitalise.
Gauff won three successive games, including two on Burrage's serve, to nose ahead.
And she claimed the win at the first time of asking when Burrage sent a forehand long.
World number three Gauff will now face Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, for a place in the last 16.
62- Coco Gauff has 62 wins in women’s singles GS events, as many as V. Williams before turning 21, only 4 players who have represented the USA have registered more before this age: Seles, S. Williams, Joe Fernandez and Evert. Marching. #AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/f0KYuD79oK
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 15, 2025
Data Debrief: Coco matches Venus
Gauff, 20, now has 62 singles wins at the grand slams, which matches the tally Venus Williams managed before she turned 21.
Only four American women have registered more major match victories before the age of 21: Monica Seles, Serena Willians, Mary Joe Fernandez and Chris Evert.
In the 21st century, only Maria Sharapova (25) and Kim Clijsters (19) have won more Australian Open matches than Gauff (14) before turning 21.
