When playing Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open, Emma Raducanu gave her all she had but ultimately lost.

This match featured aggressive hitting from both players, with flashes of brilliance and plenty of miscues from both sides as Raducanu tried to become the first player from her country to defeat a player ranked in the top ten.

The British No. 1, ranked 70 places lower than Gauff, played better as the match progressed and had two set points in the second set, but ultimately lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

Gauff is one of the favorites to win the event, despite being more than a year younger than her adversary. This is because Gauff has gained a lot of experience through a more methodical ascent up the rankings.

Gauff’s powerful serve was a noticeable contrast, and she is physically more advanced than Raducanu, who is still maturing as an athlete.

The former US Open winner has not advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament since her New York City triumph, but this latest early exit should not be cause for too much despair.

Her offseason training paid off when she went blow for blow with one of the game’s most potent players, showing skeptics and believers alike that she possesses exceptional talents.

While making her debut on Laver on an overcast day in Melbourne, Raducanu once again taped her left ankle.

It was the first time the two brightest rising talents in women’s basketball had ever faced each other, making it an intriguing gauge of Raducanu’s current form as she attempts to return to the top of the rankings.

Early on, Raducanu made it apparent that she would not allow Gauff to control the baseline battles by establishing her position on the serve and stepping in to fire arrowlike returns at the American’s feet.

However, Raducanu’s own serve was not proving solid, as her aggressive play resulted in a number of unforced errors.
Gauff overcame three consecutive service breaks to take a 4-2 lead, and then she fended off three break points when serving for the set.

After a slow start to the second set—during which Raducanu committed two double faults—Gauff took a 2-1 lead. However, Raducanu quickly recovered, and it was the American’s serve that eventually went out of whack as Raducanu evened the score at 4 all.

Suddenly, Gauff became nervous, and Raducanu had a pair of opportunities to send the match to a deciding game in the next set, but he blew the first one by overcooking his forehand and the second by dumping his drop shot into the net.
Gauff hung in there, forced a tie-break, and then won on her third match point thanks to her incredible defensive prowess.