Jodie Burrage stepped her level up, but Coco Gauff 'managed' it to avoid third set at Aussie Open

Just as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka did during the day session Wednesday at the Australian Open, Coco Gauff rallied late in her second set to avoid going the distance on Rod Laver Arena under the lights.

The 2023 US Open champion finished off Jodie Burrage, 6-3, 7-5, to notch her seventh consecutive victory to start the 2025 season.

“It was tough. She was serving really well, so I was just trying to manage that,” Gauff told Chanda Rubin in an on-court interview. “Pretty much all the first-serve points, I was starting off on defense. She really stepped her level up in the middle of the second set.”

Gauff looked to be in command, up a set and 3-1 before the narrative on court shifted.

While the American’s increased second-serve struggles played their part, a potential concern to monitor going forward given the match was played under a closed roof, Burrage began taking bigger cuts behind her first serve to greater success. She also hung tougher when points were extended and upped her aggression on return, surging ahead 5-3 with her forehand doing consistent damage.

With a chance to level the scoreboard, a poor service game did Burrage in. Three unforced errors were followed by a double fault to hand Gauff the re-break.

The No. 3 seed held from 30-0 for 5-5, then broke when her opponent once again double-faulted long under pressure. Gauff made it four games on the trot to seal the contest at the 89-minute mark.

“I doubled a little bit but she was returning well. So it put pressure on me on my serve,” said the 20-year-old, who hit six double faults and won 43 percent of her second-serve points in set two.

“Maybe next time, mix up the targets a bit. I was just trying to tell myself to keep it deep when I could and be offensive when I could, because if I landed anything short, she was hitting a winner.”

Up next for the reigning WTA Finals title holder: 30th seed Leylah Fernandez. Gauff launched her 2025 season, on December 29, 2024 no less, with a victorious 6-3, 6-2 United Cup debut over the left-hander in Perth.