Gauff books repeat showdown with
Osaka after three-set thriller
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[January 22, 2020]
By Rozanna Latiff
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Teenage sensation
Coco Gauff survived a three-set thriller against Sorana Cirstea at
the Australian Open on Wednesday to book a third-round showdown with
defending champion Naomi Osaka for the second Grand Slam in a row.
The 15-year-old American has quickly become a crowd favorite in her
debut appearance at the tournament and drew on that support to haul
herself back into the match after going a set down, rallying for a
4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over the Romanian.
"You really made me believe," Gauff told fans at Melbourne Arena.
Gauff, the youngest player in the draw, will next face Japan's
Osaka, who defeated her 6-3 6-0 in the third round of last year's
U.S. Open.
That encounter ended with Osaka drawing praise for allowing an
emotional Gauff to thank her home fans in a post-match interview.
"Yeah, it was definitely a good moment I think for both of us,
especially me," Gauff told reporters.
"But I think more just for the people watching, the little girls and
little boys who can kind of see what sportsmanship is really.
"When it's all said and done, we still look at each other with
respect and the same."
Gauff expects to be "less nervous" against Osaka this time around as
she looks to make the fourth round at a major for the second time
after her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year.
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Cori Gauff of the U.S. reacts during the match against Romania’s
Sorana Cirstea. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
"We're both familiar with each other's games. She plays really
aggressive. This time coming in, I'm going to be more aggressive,"
she said.
Gauff, who beat seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the
first round, found herself playing catch-up against the composed and
experienced Cirstea as she struggled with errors off her forehand.
But after taking the first set Cirstea failed to maintain her
standards in the second, allowing Gauff to capture an early break
and force the match to a decider.
The final set was a gripping, evenly-matched affair as Gauff battled
from a break down to get back on serve at 2-3.
Backed by cheers of "Let's go, Coco!", Gauff then broke Cirstea
before serving out to clinch the match in two hours and seven
minutes.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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