The last two days of the women’s singles at the Australian Open led to much drama and excitement. WTA Finals winner Coco Gauff, two-time defending champion Aryna Sablenka, and former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek were all in action. The best of the second-round action is overviewed in this article, including one significant upset.
Australian Open Second-Round Women’s Recap
Who Looked Good
Coco Gauff was pushed harder than many might have expected against Jodie Burrage. The former US Open champion was 3-5 down in the second set against Jodie Burrage before recovering to triumph 6-3 7-5. While Gauff may not have been at her blistering best, Burrage deserves credit for making the match competitive.
Aryna Sabalenka’s second-round contest against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro was similar to Gauff’s. The young Spaniard, who defeated the then-defending champion Marketa Vondrousova at last year’s Wimbledon championships, was 5-3 up in the second set before blinking and succumbing to a 3-6 5-7 loss.
Madison Keys’ battle with Elena-Gabriela Ruse was surprisingly close and of exceptional quality. Ruse broke five times in a performance filled with great returning and blistering forehand winners. However, Keys showed her experience at the end of the first and third sets and held her nerve better to survive 7-6 2-6 7-5.
2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins’ win against home favorite Destanee Aiava generated the most headlines afterward. After winning an entertaining battle 7-6 4-6 6-2, Collins cupped her ears and shouted at the Australian fans, who she felt had been disrespectful during the match. The American is among the fieriest personalities in tennis, and this was another example.
Iga Swiatek’s level might have been the best seen in the second-round of the women’s singles. The five-time Grand Slam champion dominated Rebecca Sramkova in a 6-0 6-2 triumph. Her opponent never had a chance from start to finish.
Who Looked Bad
Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Qinwen Zheng crashed out 6-7 3-6 to Laura Siegemund. The Olympic gold medalist admitted afterward to suffering with slight pain in her elbow. Nonetheless, she was far below the level fans have become accustomed to seeing from her in the last 12 months, making repeated unforced errors in both sets.
While Talia Gibson was a heavy underdog against Paula Badosa, she did not produce what she is capable of in front of her home fans. Badosa raced to a 6-1 6-0 victory after the most dominant performance seen during the season’s opening Grand Slam so far.
Elise Mertens also could have made things more difficult for Jessica Pegula. The 4-6,2-6 score was not too heavy a beating, but Pegula never had to get out of third gear to beat the Belgian. Mertens prides herself on baseline consistency, but that was missing throughout the match.
Match of the Second Round
There were two contenders for the best Australian Open second-round women’s match. 2021 champion Naomi Osaka managed a superb turnaround against Karolina Muchova to win 1-6 6-1 6-3. The Japanese star’s level in the final two sets was reminiscent of her four Grand Slam title runs.
However, that match was bested by teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva’s epic battle against Moyuka Uchijima. The 17-year-old won a hard-fought opening set 6-4. Uchijima was outperforming her usual level, making it challenging for Andreeva. Hence, it was no surprise when she dominated most of the second set and forced a decider by taking it 6-3.
Andreeva was on the verge of exiting the tournament after falling 3-5 behind, but she had been here before. The French Open semifinalist produced an epic comeback against Diane Parry in Melbourne in 2024. Andreeva showed her battling qualities by fighting back from the brink once again to prevail 6-4 3-6 7-6 after winning the deciding ten-point tiebreak 10-8.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
