- Gauff defends Auckland title
- American battles back after losing first set
- US Open Champion 8/1 to win Australian Open
Coco Gauff secured her Auckland Classic title defence with a hard-fought victory over Elina Svitolina ahead of the Australian Open. The US Open champion and world No. 3 battled back from a first-set loss, ultimately winning 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3 to claim her seventh WTA title.
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Gauff battles back
Despite losing the initial tiebreak to Svitolina in a back-and-forth first set, Gauff showed her resilience and improved her first-serve percentage to secure the win after a challenging two hours and 35 minutes of play. Gauff, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round at the Australian Open, is set to enter Melbourne with momentum for the first Grand Slam of 2024, beginning on January 14.
Having won 29 of her last 33 singles matches, Gauff aims to build on her successful 2023 campaign, which saw her clinch her first major title at the US Open in September. Reflecting on her performance against Svitolina, Gauff admitted it might not have been her best match of the week but expressed satisfaction with the result, emphasising the gratification of winning even when not at her peak level. Tennis enthusiasts will be eagerly anticipating Gauff’s performance in Melbourne as she seeks to make a lasting impact on the tournament.
Australian Open Betting
At the time of writing Gauff is 8/1 fourth favourite to win the Australian Open with bet365. Iga Swiatek is favourite at 12/5 ahead of Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, both rated at 11/2.
Novak Djokovic is favourite for the men’s singles, currently priced at 11/10, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz, 10/3 and Jannik Sinner, 13/2.
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