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2020 Australian Open Day 3: Naomi Osaka throws and kicks racquet in win, Coco Gauff rallies back

Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates after winning match point against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open on January 22, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates after winning match point against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open on January 22, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

This post will be updated with action from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Naomi Osaka wins after tossing racquet

Naomi Osaka is on to the third round of the Australian Open, even if it did include a tossed racquet in the process.

The defending women’s singles champion defeated Saisai Zheng 6-2, 6-4 on day three of the tournament but not without some second set theatrics. Trailing 2-1 in the set, Osaka gave up the advantage point to Zheng and reacted by throwing the racquet down, smashing the ball into the court and then kicking her racquet toward the net.

The fourth-ranked player in the world tied it at 2-2, but lost the next two games to fall behind again. She rattled off four in a row to advance and had 20 winners to Zheng’s seven, but 30 unforced errors to her opponent’s 20.

Osaka mathematically can not move back into the No. 1 ranking.

Coco Gauff rallies back

It took until the very end, but American sensation Coco Gauff survived to reach the third round on Wednesday.

Gauff, after dropping the first set, rallied back to beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round and set up a rematch with defending champion Naomi Osaka.

Gauff got out to a slow start in the third set, falling into a 3-0 hole. The 15-year-old, though, quickly tied the set up 3-3 and never let Cirstea pull ahead — even when the Romanian was two points from winning on multiple occasions.

“[It was] just my will to win,” Gauff said, via the Associated Press. “My parents, they always told me I can come back, no matter what the score is.”

Gauff will now take on Osaka in the third round, a rematch of their U.S. Open bout in September — where Osaka won handily in straight sets.

This time around, though, Gauff is ready.

“I know what to expect,” Gauff said, via the Associated Press. “I’m ready for a good match.”

Caroline Wozniacki narrowly reaches third round

It looked as if Caroline Wozniacki’s run in Melbourne was going to come to an end on Wednesday.

Wozniacki, the former World No. 1, quickly fell into a 5-1 hole in her match against No. 23 Dayana Yastremska in her second round match at Margaret Court Arena, and looked to be out of it.

Yet two hours later, Wozniacki was still standing.

The 29-year-old rallied all the way back, and then struck ahead in the second set to knock off Yastremska 7-5, 7-5 and advance to the third round.

“I was really nervous going into my first round,” Wozniacki said. “Actually today I felt pretty calm, and then quickly it became 5-1 and I was thinking, ‘Hopefully I can be out here for another 30 minutes just to try and take it in.’

“After winning this match, which was a really tough one, it’s just so special to play in front of this amazing crowd on one of my favorite courts and winning such a tough match. It’s a little emotional.”

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