Thursday 9 January 2020 14:35, UK
There will be no first-time meeting between Serena Williams and Coco Gauff after the teenager was knocked out of the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Williams lost the opening set of her second-round clash with Christina McHale but recovered to win 3-6 6-2 6-3, while 15-year-old Gauff was beaten 5-7 6-2 6-3 by Germany's Laura Siegemund.
Williams will make her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne, and she said in her on-court interview: "It was a good match for me, because I really need to play matches like that to get to my goals.
"I got myself in a hole and I was able to get out of it, so that was satisfying."
Williams' doubles partner Caroline Wozniacki also dug herself out of a hole in a 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory over American Lauren Davis and next faces defending champion Julia Goerges, who defeated Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-2.
Gauff gave her coach and father Corey Gauff a telling off during her match with Siegemund.
The American youngster took the first set in her match and was receiving advice from her father, on how to advance to the quarter-finals, in the changeover.
"The last three games, you didn't give out no free points on her damn serve, her serve is weak. It's real slow." said Corey.
Coco quickly reminded him, "You can't curse" adding "You said the D-word."
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty suffered a shock loss to qualifier Jennifer Brady in her first match of the new season on home soil at the Brisbane International.
Barty will carry the hopes of her nation at the Australian Open later this month but was unable to make it past the second round in Brisbane, with American Brady winning 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
The victory made it a notable double for Brady, ranked 53, after her first-round win against Maria Sharapova.
Barty told the official WTA website: "Jen was in control of the match. She was in the centre of the court being the aggressor and I think you have to give credit where credit's due."
Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka lost the opening set to Sofia Kenin but finished strongly in a 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-1 victory.
Defending champion Karolina Pliskova began her campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-1 victory over Australian Ajla Tomljanovic while Petra Kvitova eased past Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-2.
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