Svitolina sees off Coco challenge to reach third round

Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina celebrates winning her second round match against Cori Gauff of the U.S. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

MELBOURNE—Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina made good use of limited opportunities against American teenager Coco Gauff to reach the Australian Open third round with a 6-4 6-3 victory on Thursday.

The 16-year-old Gauff, the youngest player in the main draw at Melbourne Park, took the Australian Open by storm last year, taking down Venus Williams, Sorana Cirstea and Naomi Osaka en route to the fourth round.

But she failed to find a way past the steely Svitolina, who converted two out of her three break point opportunities against the big-hitting world number 48 to seal the fate of the match in their first meeting.

Gauff had four break point chances of her own but could not capitalise as Svitolina set up a clash with Kazakh 26th seed Yulia Putintseva, who beat Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium 6-4 1-6 6-2.