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Australian Open: Emma Raducanu thrilled by showdown against Coco Gauff after first round victories
British number one Emma Raducanu won her first match on the opening day of the Australian Open after she dispatched Tamara Korpatsch in a straight win 6-3 6-2 just eleven days after rolling her ankle in Auckland and being forced to retire in tears.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old is believed to be eager to test herself against fellow phenom Coco Gauff.
Similarly, American sensation Gauff blew away her opponent Katerina Siniakova in straight sets and National Daily understands that Raducanu will next be taking on seventh seed Gauff for the first time and the Brit is thrilled by that encounter.
Gauff is separated by seventy places with Raducanu who is currently ranked 77th after the British number one have struggled for consistency in form since winning the US Open, but she is nonetheless excited with the face off against the in-form American.
‘I’m really looking forward to this match, I’m very up for it,’ said Raducanu at her post-match press conference after beating Korpatsch.
‘Coco has obviously done a lot of great things and she’s playing well so I’m just looking forward to the match-up.
‘I think we’re both good young players, we’re both coming through, part of the next generation of tennis really – so it’s going to be a great match.
‘I know her a fair bit off the court, she’s really nice and friendly and down to earth. Yeah, she’s cool.
‘She’s a great athlete. When she first came at Wimbledon I think after that it took her a little time to adjust as well but then she definitely found her feet and she’s playing really good tennis and looking really solid right now.
‘But she’s a great athlete with some big weapons so it’s going to be a tough opponent, but I’m looking forward to the occasion.’
On overcoming her ankle injury to win her first-round match, Raducanu continued: ‘Obviously really happy to be through to the second round. It was always going to be difficult coming in with so little prep and being out there, but I’m just really happy to have come through that.
‘I think everything I’ve done has been quite controlled in the last week, so to test it out in a real match and with the unpredictability and stuff. I was just getting used to it in the beginning but yeah it felt good.
‘I think you know it’s there and I think if anything it kind of alleviates any pressure, because you’re like: “I’ve done so well to get myself onto court, my team has done so well”.
‘So it’s just a great achievement for all of us, and then for me to be out there I might as well just enjoy all the hard work we’ve done to get myself here. It’s not mental, it’s more just physical and playing and seeing how it is.’
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