Coco Gauff remarkably replicates Wimbledon heroics by beating Venus Williams again in straight sets at Australian Open
- Coco Gauff overcame Venus Williams 7-6 (5) 6-3 in Australian Open first round
- The 15-year-old remarkably overcame Williams at Wimbledon last summer
- And she has now replicated her heroics on Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne
- She showed maturity well beyond her years to battle through and hold her nerve
Coco Gauff repeated her Wimbledon victory over Venus Williams, winning 7-6 (5) 6-3 under the roof on Margaret Court Arena in the first round of the Australian Open.
The 15-year-old’s success in the first round at the All England Club last summer catapulted her to global stardom.
With Gauff now a top 100 player – and Venus having been a doubt for the tournament with a hip injury – this result came as less of a shock.
Coco Gauff overcame Venus Williams 7-6 (5) 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open
The 15-year-old’s achievements should certainly not be taken for granted, though, and she showed maturity well beyond her years to battle through after nerves kicked in during the first set.
Gauff led 5-3 and had three set points, while a 5-2 lead in the tie-break also disappeared, but a missed backhand volley from Venus at 5-6 helped her young opponent over the line in the opener.
There were no wobbles in the second, and Gauff said: ‘That was really difficult, she played really well. I was really nervous for today’s match. I was a bit shocked, I’m sure everybody was shocked, when they saw that draw, but I’m really glad to get through it.’