TENNIS: Gauff rallies to despatch Baptiste in all-American matchup

MELBOURNE — Coco Gauff recovered from a slow start to defeat fellow American Hailey Baptiste 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Friday, advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open as she continues her quest for a first title at Melbourne Park.

Gauff, the third seed, was broken twice and dropped her first set of the tournament against world No. 70 Baptiste. The 21-year-old Baptiste threatened a major upset until she completely lost momentum in the second set.

After reducing her errors, Gauff delivered her best tennis, winning the second set 6-0 and taking control of the match. She then broke Baptiste in the sixth game of the final set before serving out the victory.

“Honestly, I didn’t change too much. I tried to get more first serves in. I wasn’t too upset after the first set,” Gauff said on court. “I was able to raise my level, and I’m happy with how I stayed mentally calm through that.”

Although Baptiste could not match Gauff’s power and speed, she still pushed the two-time Grand Slam champion and made her work for the win. Gauff will next face Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Before leaving the court, Gauff addressed a fan she felt crossed the line while supporting Baptiste.

“Hailey’s a great competitor, so to the guy who made that comment, we’re all doing our best out here… Let’s all be respectful,” she said, earning cheers from the crowd.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters