Wednesday 22 January 2020 06:54, UK
Naomi Osaka will face Coco Gauff in the third round of a second successive Grand Slam after the 15-year-old came through another big fight, defeating Sorana Cirstea 4-6 6-3 7-5 at the Australian Open.
Gauff was 3-0 down in the third set but is already gaining a reputation for thriving in close battles and so it proved again as she moved through to the third round at a third straight Slam.
Her US Open campaign came to an abrupt end at that stage when Osaka won 6-3 6-0, with the Japanese star comforting a tearful Gauff on court.
Defending champion Osaka made it through without dropping a set after a 6-2 6-4 victory over Zheng Saisai.
Osaka was frustrated by the conditions and went a break down in the second set but fought back well.
Petra Kvitova, who lost to Osaka in the final last year, battled to a 7-5 7-5 victory over Paula Badosa but 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka was beaten 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (8-6) by Carla Suarez Navarro.
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty avoided any scares in a 6-1 6-4 victory over Polona Hercog.
Barty dropped her first set of the tournament against Lesia Tsurenko in round one but was sharper out of the blocks here and eased to victory in 66 minutes.
Barty, who has previously said she is sick of seeing herself on billboards following her rise to the top of the rankings, believes she will not get used to the spotlight off the court anytime soon.
"Absolutely not, no. Everyone has to put up with me. It's pretty average, I think," Barty told reporters.
"No, it's been incredible - the love and the support I've received from people all over Australia, in particular kids, it brings a smile to my face every single day - it's amazing."
Caroline Wozniacki kept retirement at bay a little longer with a dramatic 7-5 7-5 victory over 23rd seed Dayana Yastremska.
Yastremska was regarded as a dark horse and Wozniacki was quickly 5-1 down in the opening set but fought back to win six games in a row.
Yastremska then led 3-0 in the second set but Wozniacki came back again to clinch victory on her sixth match point.
Wozniacki, who next faces Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, said: "She hit so hard and so precise I just didn't know what to do.
"Then she started making a few more errors and I tried to mix up the pace. The crowd really got behind me and it was so special."
The Dane had tears in her eyes during her post-match interview as she added: "I felt pretty calm then I was 5-1 down and I was thinking hopefully I can be out here for another 30 minutes to try to take it in. It's a little emotional for me."
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