Australian Open 2020: Coco Gauff knocks defending champion Naomi Osaka out in revenge clash
On a day of big upsets at the Australian Open 2020, seven-time winner Serena Williams and defending champion Naomi Osaka suffered big defeats sending shockwaves around the tennis world.
Williams was beaten by 27th-seed Wang Qiang in the day session before Coco Gauff and Osaka took each other on in one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the year thus far.
15-year-old Gauff stunned Osaka to advance to the Round of 16 with a fluent win. The giant-killing prodigy won the first set 6-3 and went on to power her way past her opponent in the second with a 6-4 scoreline.
Coco Gauff, who has been in great form at Melbourne Park, caused a huge upset in the first round when she beat Venus Williams and followed it up with an even bigger upset against an in-form Osaka.
The two had met in the US Open last year - back then, Osaka had pummelled her way past the teenager in straight sets winning 6-3, 6-0, which prompted Gauff to state that she would be more aggressive at the Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff managed to keep her serve under control on the day and cruised to a 6-3 win after the two were tied 3-3 in the first set.
Osaka's serves were broken at crucial stages of the match, while the occasional double faults from Coco Gauff failed to impede the teenager's momentum.
With this win, Coco Gauff has become the youngest player to have caused an upset against the top-ranked lot since a 15-year-old, Jenniffer Capriati beat the then-defending champion Gabriela Sabatini at the 1991 US Open.
Osaka's unforced errors contributed, in no small measure, to her downfall at Melbourne Park and although it would be grossly unfair to rob Gauff the credit for a magnificent win, the 2018 US Open champion was partly to blame for being erratic against an unrelenting opponent.
With three big names - Venus, Serena, and now Osaka exiting the tournament - the Australian Open has opened up quite a bit as the Round of 16 beckons.
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