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Patna : Teenage American sensation Coro Coco Gauff sent defending champion Naomi Osaka, 22, Japan, packing out of the Australian Open (AO) beating her in straight sets in 3rd round at Rof Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on January 24, 2020. World No 67 in WTA rankings, Gauff, 15, USA, beat World N0 4 Osaka 6-3, 6-4 to enter the 4th round of AO.
Gauff won 3 break points in the match to 1 by the Japanese, the 3rd seed. Gauff also won 4 games in a row in the match to 2 by the Japanese. Osaka, however, fired 5 ACes in the match to 1 by the American. Gauff won 41 service points in the match to 30 by Osaka, who had won US Open title in 2018 and Australian Open title in 2019.
Gauff, who had defeated Venus Williams, 39, in 1st round, will face World No 15 Sofia Kenin, USA, in 4th round on January 26, 2020. Kenin, the 14th seed, beat World No 35 Shuai Zhang, China, 7-5, 7-6 in 3rd round on January 24.
World No 23 Maria Sakkari, 24, Greece, the 22nd seed, stunned World No 11 Madison Keys, 24, USA, the 2017 US Open Finalist, 6-4, 6-4 to enter the 4th round. Tenth seed Keys though fired 6 Aces in the match. But, Sakkari won 4 break points in the match to 2 by the American. Sakkari won 5 games in a row in the match to 3 by Keys. Sakkari will face two-time former Wimbledon Champion and World No 8 Petra Kvitová, Czech Republic, in 4th round on January 26, 2020.
Kvitová beat World No 28 Ekaterina Alexandrova, 25, Russia, the 25th seed, 6-1, 6-2 in 3rd round winning 4 break points in the match besides winning 5 games in a row. Kvitová fired 4 Aces in the match to 3 by Alexandrova.
World No 78 Ons Jabeur, 25, Tunisia, beat World No 36 & 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki, 29, Denmark, in a three-set thriller 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to enter the 4th round. Jabeur will face Qiang Wang, China, in 4th round on January 26.
Top Seed & World No 1 Ashleigh Barty, 23, Australia, however, sailed into the 4th round. Barty beat World No 26 Elena Rybakina, 20, Kazakhstan, 6-3, 6-2 winning 4 games in a row in the match at Rod Laver Arena to enter the 4th round. Barty won 5 break points in the match to 2 by Rybakina. The Australian fired 5 Aces in the match to 2 by Rybakina