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Third-seeded Coco Gauff had some familiar struggles on serve but had still enough class and power to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 on Monday in a first-round match at the Australian Open.
Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles but has never gone past the semifinals at Melbourne Park. She was knocked out in the quarterfinals last year.
Gauff had six double faults in the first set against Rakhimova, and only one in the second set as she eventually found her range on serve. The American has struggled with double-faults and had 431 on the WTA Tour last year, by far the most of any player. No one else had more than 300.
“I mean, it was just the first set,” Gauff said. “Only had one double in the second. I think both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there, which I know for every time I play first on day here, that’s just how it is.
“But once I got through kind of the first game, I had like three doubles in the first game, and once I got through that game, I mean, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Maybe I would have liked to put more first serves in the court, for sure.”
The 21-year-old Gauff has been reworking her serve for the last several months and practiced some more during a comfort break in the match on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff faces left-handed Olga Danilovic in the second round. Danilovic defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams on Sunday in a first-round match, which erased the possibility of the two Americans facing off.
“There’s not many (left-handed players) on Tour, but Olga’s a great player, she’s beat some top players so it’s going to be a tough match,” Gauff said.
No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, runner-up at the last two majors, advanced 6-3, 6-2 over Simona Waltert, No. 6 Jessica Pegula beat Anastasia Zakharova 6-2, 6-1 and No. 14 Clara Tauson had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Dalma Galfi.
Kenin’s exit
Sofia Kenin’s poor recent run at the Australian Open continued as she lost 6-3, 6-2 to fellow-American Peyton Stearns.
Kenin won the 2020 Australian title but has since struggled at Melbourne Park since, losing in the first round for the fifth consecutive time.
No. 15 Emma Navarro lost in three sets to Magda Linette of Poland.
Retirements
Priscilla Hon secured her first trip to the second round of her home major in six years and also helped her opponent Marina Stakusic leave the court in a wheelchair after the Canadian qualifier collapsed with severe leg cramps.
Another Canadian player ended early with cramping, with No. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime retiring from his match with Nuno Borges of Portugal. Borges led 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 when Auger-Aliassime walked to the net to shake hands.
“I can’t recall ever in my life (cramping) this early in a tournament, this early in a match,” he said.
Retirement tour
Stan Wawrinka kicked off his farewell season at the Slams with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Laslo Djere. The 2014 champion announced last month that 2026 will be his last year on the elite tour.
“It is my last year. It’s been too long that I’m coming back!” he said. “The passion is still intact. Today was amazing. I’m so happy that I won — I have a chance to play one more here.”
Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev beat Jesper de Jong 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2) to continue a streak Down Under that included a title run in Brisbane. No. 19 seed Tommy Paul defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an all-American match to advance along with Reilly Opelka and No. 13 Andrey Rublev.
Local hope Alex de Minaur, the No. 6 seed, beat Mackenzie McDonald — a lucky loser from qualifying who replaced the injured former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini — 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena.
