Coco Gauff Prepares for Tough Test Against Leylah Fernandez

Coco Gauff is gearing up for a challenging match against Leylah Fernandez at the Australian Open. The American third seed acknowledges Fernandez's aggressive playing style and is preparing to raise her game. Read the latest on this highly anticipated clash.

The Australian Open is set to enter its third round on Friday, featuring a lineup of highly anticipated matches. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will kick off proceedings on Rod Laver Arena, while Novak Djokovic will continue his pursuit of an unprecedented 11th title.

A star-studded cast of players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Coco Gauff, will take to the showcourts, vying for a spot in the tournament's next round. One of the most intriguing matchups of the day will see Naomi Osaka face off against familiar opponent Belinda Bencic on John Cain Arena.

Osaka and Bencic Set for Thrilling Clash

The top women's match of the day pits twice champion Naomi Osaka against Belinda Bencic. Osaka, who returned to the tour after a 15-month maternity break in January last year, is gradually regaining her form. The former world number one, who won the title in 2019 and 2021, has already avenged last year's Australian Open first-round loss by beating Caroline Garcia and followed that up by knocking out Karolina Muchova.

Osaka's next challenge comes in the form of a familiar opponent, Belinda Bencic, who holds a 3-2 record against her. Bencic, the former Olympic gold medallist, also returned to the circuit after giving birth in April. Osaka is relishing the opportunity to face Bencic, saying: “I love it. I love playing the big opponents. I think that's where I play my best tennis.” She added: “If I play better and better opponents as the rounds go on, I think it's more interesting because I feel like it's the clash of two Titans almost.”

Djokovic Seeks Revenge Against Rising Star Machac

Novak Djokovic is set to face a challenging opponent in Czech player Tomas Machac, who surprisingly defeated the 24-time major winner in the semi-finals of the Geneva Open last year. Since then, Machac has continued to grow in confidence, winning the mixed doubles gold at the Olympics. As Djokovic's junior by 13 years, Machac will be looking to advance to the fourth round for the first time.

Djokovic has already experienced a few setbacks in the tournament, dropping sets against Nishesh Basavareddy and Jaime Faria. The 37-year-old anticipates another tough outing against Machac. Reflecting on his previous matches, Djokovic said: “It's always tricky to play these kind of opponents, mentally to sustain that level. Obviously you don't know whether they're maybe going to fold under the pressure of playing on the centre court or they're actually going to go the different way, which I think both of my opponents in the first and second round did.”

Gauff Prepares for Tough Clash Against Fernandez

American third seed Coco Gauff is set to face a challenging opponent in 30th seed Leylah Fernandez. Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, is aware that she must be at the top of her game to overcome the Canadian, who was the 2021 US Open runner-up. Gauff acknowledged Fernandez's aggressive playing style, saying: “Obviously (I need to) serve better. She's going to be aggressive, that's her game. She's a great mover, she's going to hit some great shots.”

Gauff expressed her expectation that Fernandez will deliver a strong performance, stating: “I expect her to play great tennis. I just hope I can do the same.” This mindset demonstrates Gauff's respect for her opponent and her determination to rise to the challenge.