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Ashleigh Barty staged an incredible comeback to survive a scare from Coco Gauff in the Round of 16 at the Adelaide International on Wednesday. The teenager led by a set and a break, before the Australian stepped up her game to turn things around. In a match with frequent momentum shifts, the World No. 1 held her nerve to emerge victorious.
Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff Score
The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated Coco Gauff 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Barty will face either 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin or Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarterfinals.
Ashleigh Barty vs Coco Gauff Recap
Both players started the match with comfortable holds of serve, but Gauff was the first to strike, hitting a beautiful drop shot to go up a break and lead 2-1. However, Barty immediately wrestled back the break to level proceedings.
With Gauff serving at 3-4, the Australian had a couple of opportunities to go up a break but failed to capitalize. This proved to be costly as the teenager managed to break Barty's serve in the next game, though she needed four chances to do so. Gauff then faced a break point while serving for the set, but held her nerve to secure it 6-4.
The second set began with a marathon hold of serve from Barty, featuring six deuces and four break points saved. This, though, was a temporary respite as Gauff soon went up a break to lead 4-2. The teenager had a chance to go 5-2 up, but squandered a break point on the Australian's serve.
However, Barty soon cleaned up her act. She held on for 4-3, and started playing with a renewed sense of confidence.
The World No. 1 immediately broke back and then held serve to lead 5-4. She secured another break of serve to win the second set 7-5.
Gauff's level dipped after that and it coincided with Barty being at her best. In the deciding set, the Australian quickly raced into a 5-1 lead. She faced three break points while serving for the match, but some incredible serving saw her close it out for a place in the quarterfinals.
Barty's fight showed exactly why she's the best player on tour at the moment. There was absolutely no sense of panic when things weren't going her way. She stayed patient and slowly improved her game to ensure the match ended in her favor.
