MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff has continued her sensational start to 2025, extending her winning streak to seven matches and an impressive 14 sets after defeating Britain’s Jodie Burrage, ranked 173rd, with a score of 6-3, 7-5 in the third round of the Australian Open at the iconic Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday.
The reigning U.S. Open champion and last year’s semifinalist at Melbourne Park faced a challenging moment during the second set, battling through a wave of double-faults as she fell behind 5-3 after losing four consecutive games from an advantageous position of 3-1.
Nevertheless, when Burrage served for the second set, Gauff regained control, launching into a stunning four-game run to seal her victory.
“It was definitely a tough match. She was serving exceptionally well, so I just focused on managing that,” remarked Gauff, the No. 3 seed. “She elevated her game in the middle of the second set, so I aimed to play more aggressively whenever possible.”
Despite hitting six of her seven double-faults in the second set, Gauff displayed remarkable consistency at the baseline, concluding the 90-minute match with just 11 unforced errors from her groundstrokes, in stark contrast to Burrage’s 37.
Burrage’s final two service games were marred by double-faults, including consecutive ones that allowed Gauff to edge ahead at 6-5.
From that pivotal moment, Gauff closed out the match as she continues to refine her serve and forehand—key areas she has dedicated her off-season to enhancing.
“She was returning excellently, which added pressure to my serve,” Gauff explained. “If I hit anything short, she was quick to put it away with a winner.”
Counting her four consecutive victories that led to the WTA Finals title in November—featuring straight-set wins over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek—Gauff’s remarkable winning streak now stands at 11 matches.
As part of this impressive run, she also secured a victory at the United Cup team competition against her upcoming rival: No. 30 Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up to Emma Raducanu.
Fernandez advanced by overcoming Cristina Bucsa, finishing the match at 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.
