Gauff ends Osaka’s title defence

Coco Gauff continued her dream run at the Australian Open on Friday when the 15-year-old knocked out defending champion Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 in a stunning upset to reach the fourth round.

Osaka was the third former women’s champion to bow out at Melbourne Park on Friday after her immediate predecessors Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams lost their respective matches earlier in the day.

Gauff, on her Australian Open debut, beat seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round and will next face either China’s Zhang Shuai or American 14th seed Sofia Kenin for a placein the quarter-finals.

“Honestly, what is my life like? Two years ago, I lost in the first round of juniors, and now I’m here, this is crazy,” said Gauff.

Gauff had lost to Osaka 6-3 6-0 at the U.S. Open last year but easily avoided a repeat as a string of backhand errors off the Japanese third seed’s racket gave the 15-year-old the break midway through the opening set.

The pattern repeated itself in the second set, as a lacklustre Osaka continued to misfire and Gauff served out the victory after just 67 minutes on court. She let out a huge roar in the direction of the players’ box before heading to the net to receive the congratulations of the vanquished champion, who not so long ago was hailed as the future of women’s tennis.

That title might soon sit on Gauff’s shoulders but tennis is not the only thing on the teenager’s mind with her remote schooling continuing throughout her travels.

“My teachers are giving me some time, given the circumstances,” she said. “I’m allowed to put in some assignments late, which is nice.”

Earlier, Serena Williams suffered her earliest exit from the Australian Open in 14 years on Friday, falling to China’s Wang Qiang in a stunning third round reversal that left her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title in tatters once again.

Having conceded one game to Wang in a U.S. Open trouncing four months ago, Williams staggered to an error-strewn 6-4 6-7(2) 7-5 defeat at Rod Laver Arena that sent shockwaves through Melbourne Park and tore open the women’s draw.

It was the American’s earliest exit from the year’s first Grand Slam since her 2006 title defence was ended by Daniela Hantuchova. Doubts about her hopes of matching Margaret Court’s Grand Slam haul have resurfaced. Williams has recovered from her share of Grand Slam setbacks, but this one left an especially bitter taste. “It’s all on my shoulders,” the 38-year-old said ruefully.

“I just have to pretend like I don’t want to punch the wall, but in reality I do.” A day before Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year, 27th seed Wang played the match of her life, soaking up huge pressure to land the biggest scalp of her career.

She wavered at times and was broken when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Wang squandered two match points in the nerve-shredding finish, and ultimately was relieved when Williams surrendered by firing into the net, her 56thunforced error.

Last year, China’s top-ranked player knocked world number one Ash Barty out of the U.S. Open fourth round, a few months after mourning the death of her longtime coach Peter McNamara. “I think he could see me playing today. He will be proud of me,” the 28-year-old told reporters.