Coco Gauff may not be the most popular person on her own TikTok, but she impressed the crowds at Melbourne Park as she beat Emma Raducanu in straight sets.
In what was a much-anticipated clash at the Australian Open between the world number seven and the 2021 US Open champion, it was Gauff who emerged on top with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory to seal passage to the third round.
It also made Gauff the first woman to win 100 Tour-level main draw matches before turning 19 since Caroline Wozniacki did so in 2009.
The 18-year-old took the opening set by stepping up her game on key points, breaking her British opponent twice while saving six of seven break points against her.
In an even second set, Gauff was forced to save two set points as Raducanu tried to take advantage of the American's struggling forehand.
However, Gauff hit back to force a tie-break that she won in style with a drop shot followed by a lob.
"I just told myself to hang in there and I was playing really good tennis," Gauff said in an on-court interview. "I think we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part.
"Considering the circumstances I think both of us were nervous, this was a long-anticipated match basically since the draw came out so I'm glad that it was a good match for you guys.
"At a grand slam you have to win seven matches and you have to expect to play the best, obviously you hope it's not in the second round but what can you do?
"I feel like we handled the pressure really well and kudos to Emma, I know she had a tough week in Auckland [suffering an ankle injury] so good for her to be able to play at this level after such a scary moment."
Gauff also joked about a TikTok she recently posted that divided opinion on her parents' dancing ability.
"I posted a video online and it got like a million views and everyone was hating on my dad in the comments, so I kind of felt bad... parents really do anything for their kids so I'm glad my dad took one for the team."
Asked who is the best dancer of the three of them, she replied: "Probably my mom, at least that's what the comments said.
"They said my mom ate both of us up... a lot of people asked for a solo video just of her and I was like: 'No, I'm the star, how do I get outshined on my own TikTok?'"
Djokovic recovers from slow start to move past Michelsen on Shanghai return
Novak Djokovic marked his Shanghai Masters return with a hard-fought straight-sets win over Alex Michelsen.
The four-time champion, who is appearing in this event for the first time since 2019, required two tie-breaks before prevailing 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (11-9) in just under two hours.
Djokovic, still donning a protective sleeve over his right knee, made a slow start in only his second match since losing to Alexei Popyrin in the US Open third round, winning just four points in the first three games as he fell 4-1 behind.
However, the 24-time major winner broke back in the seventh game before dominating the tie-break for first blood.
Roles were reversed in the second set as Michelsen cancelled out an earlier break in game seven.
However, the American squandered two set points to level and was eventually punished by Djokovic, who will play either 28th seed Flavio Cobolli or three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka in the next round.
Data Debrief: Djokovic continues American dominance
Djokovic was given an early scare, but his experience eventually showed as he came through.
Including team events, the Serb has now won his last 33 ATP-level matches against American opponents, with his last such defeat coming against Sam Querrey at Wimbledon in 2016.
The 24-time major winner also demonstrated his determination when the pressure intensified, and he has now come through 12 of his 16 tie-breaks played this season.
Gauff fights back to beat Badosa in China Open semi-finals
Coco Gauff recovered from a set and a break down to reach the China Open final with a 4-6 6-4 6-2 victory over Paula Badosa on Saturday.
Having given up an early break in the opener, Gauff got one of her own by converting her eighth break point in a mammoth eighth game featuring 10 deuces, only for Badosa to hit back immediately to go a set up.
Gauff lost serve immediately in the second set to go on the back foot, only to level the match with back-to-back breaks, the second of them to love.
The decider began with a series of breaks, Gauff taking two of them as the momentum swung her way, then she protected her lead all the way to reach her first final since winning January's Auckland Open.
The 20-year-old is the youngest player to reach the women's singles final at the China Open since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
She has fought from a set down to win in each of her last three matches, the first time she has done so in her career. She is the first player to do so in WTA-1000 events since Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells 2022.
Data Debrief: Gauff brings up century
Saturday's match was Gauff's 100th at WTA 1000-level events, and her 67th such victory.
Among American players, only Serena Williams (87), Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula (70) have bettered her 67 wins through their first 100 matches at such events.
Alcaraz beats home favourite Shang in Shanghai opener
Carlos Alcaraz began his Shanghai Open campaign with a straight-sets win over China's Shang Juncheng, bringing up his 10th straight victory.
Just three days on from his epic victory over Jannik Sinner in the China Open final, Alcaraz recorded a 6-2 6-2 win over Shang inside one hour and 17 minutes.
The four-time grand slam winner wasted no time by breaking in the very first game of the encounter, then repeated the trick six games later to take the opener, avoiding any pressure as he won 82% of his first-serve points.
Alcaraz produced the shot of the match early in the second set, producing a brilliant backhand flick to salvage a point while backtracking from the net.
Back-to-back breaks midway through the second set sealed Alcaraz's 10th straight victory, after which he hailed the performance of his 19-year-old opponent.
"I'm not used to playing against players younger than me," Alcaraz said. "He has been playing good tennis lately, winning his first ATP title [in Chengdu], so I'm pretty sure he's going to climb the rankings.
"At the net he told me that it's a pleasure share the court with you. So these kinds of things that I hear from younger players, it's great."
Data Debrief: Double figures for Alcaraz
Alcaraz's victory was his 10th in succession since he suffered a shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open in August.
He will face another Chinese player in the next round, taking on world number 560 Wu Yibing.
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