World No. 3 American Coco Gauff staged a remarkable comeback in the third round of the Australian Open against compatriot Hailey Baptiste. Gauff, after dropping the first set 3-6, dominated the next two sets with a 6-0, 6-3 victory, advancing to the fourth round.
This win marked Gauff’s 77th Grand Slam match victory, achieved in her 100th Major match. Gauff joins Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek as the only active players with more wins in their first 100 Grand Slam matches. Aryna Sabalenka also had 77 wins at this milestone.
Gauff becomes the ninth player in the Open Era to compete in her 100th women’s singles Grand Slam main-draw match before turning 22, joining a prestigious list that includes Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova.
In a hard-fought match, Gauff and Baptiste exchanged holds until Gauff broke for a 4-2 lead in the decider. Gauff’s strong forehand played a pivotal role in securing her victory and advancing to the Round of 16, where she will face the No. 19 seed Muchova.
18-year-old Iva Jovic caused a major upset by defeating No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 7-6(3) in the third round. This victory propelled Jovic into the second week of a major for the first time in just her sixth attempt, marking her first win over a Top 10 player in four meetings.
