British number one Emma Raducanu suffered a straight sets defeat to American 7th seed Coco Gauff 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in the second round of the Australian Open.
The 2021 US Open Champion gave a good account of herself after suffering a rolled ankle only 11 days before the tournament. Raducanu troubled Gauff with some aggressive play and forceful ball striking. But in the end Gauff proved too strong and the American will be looking to capture her first Grand Slam after reaching the French Open final last year.
In the men’s draw, defending champion Rafael Nadal suffered a muscle injury in his left leg which ultimately led to a shock second round exit for the Spaniard. The 22-time Grand Slam Champion was in discomfort throughout his match with world no 65 and ended up falling to straight sets defeat 6-4 6-4 7-5.
After the match it was suggested the World No 2 could be out for up to 6-8 weeks. The means Nadal is a doubt for the Indian Wells tournament and he will no doubt turn his attention to the French Open later in the Spring. The King of Clay has dominated the Grand Slam in Paris in the last decade and is likely to be Nadal’s main focus in his recovery.
There was better fortune for Wimbledon Champion Novak Djokovic as he beat Enzo Couacaud in four sets 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0. The former world number one also had injury problems during his match and required a medical timeout and strapping on his left hamstring during the contest.
The Serb now sets up a third round clash with Grigor Dimitrov as he bids to win a staggering 10th Australian Open title.