Coco Gauff has advanced to the quarterfinals in Auckland

Coco Gauff, the U.S. Open champion, continued her impressive start to the year by advancing to the quarterfinals of the Auckland Classic. She faced the hard-hitting Czech teenager Barbara Fruhvirtova and secured a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

Fruhvirtova, at just 16 years old, displayed incredible power in her shots, initially troubling Gauff and even breaking her serve to love in the third game. However, Gauff fought back, breaking Fruhvirtova’s serve to level the set. She eventually won the first set after a closely contested battle.

In the second set, Gauff found her rhythm and depth in her returns, breaking Fruhvirtova multiple times and serving with confidence. Despite facing a couple of break points while serving for the match, Gauff closed it out with her sixth ace.

Gauff praised her opponent, mentioning their history of training together since they were young. She will face eighth-seeded Varvara Gracheva of France in the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, saw her Auckland Classic journey come to an end. She was defeated by second-seeded Elina Svitolina in a thrilling match that lasted nearly three hours. Despite the loss, Raducanu expressed confidence in her fitness as she prepares for the Australian Open.

Seventh-seeded Petra Martic also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Yuan Yue of China and will face American Emma Navarro in the next round.