Gauff wins in straight sets to advance in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia — Fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff advanced to the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday, defeating Alycia Parks 6-0, 6-2.

Gauff played an almost flawless match as she beat Parks in 61 minutes, making just eight unforced errors to the 34 of her less experienced opponent.

The 19-year-old Gauff has now won ten straight major matches, tying Serena Williams for the third-longest streak by an American teenager in the Open Era.

Meanwhile, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also reached the fourth round with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Lesia Tsurenko.

The second-seeded Belarusian, who won her first Grand Slam title here 12 months ago, needed just 52 minutes for victory at the Rod Laver Arena. She has dropped just six games in three rounds so far.

“Last year, Iga [Swiatek] won so many sets 6-0, and this is one of the goals, to try to get closer to her,” Sabalenka joked. “I’m just super happy with the level I’m playing so far. Hopefully I can just keep going like that or even better.”

The pair did not shake hands — as is the convention for Ukrainian players against opponents from Russia or Belarus — but Tsurenko congratulated Sabalenka verbally.

It was the first 6-0, 6-0 win of Sabalenka’s career. The last 6-0, 6-0 match in a major was Williams’ win over Carla Suarez Navarro in quarterfinal at the 2013 US Open, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

It was the 11th 6-0, 6-0 win in a major.

Sabalenka will play Amanda Anisimova, who continued her comeback with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Paula Badosa. Anisimova, who took seven months out of the game last year for mental health reasons, hit 40 winners on her way to the fourth round.

“It’s quite unbelievable,” the American said. “For sure taking a step away from the game … gave me a new perspective. I’m trying to be in the present. I think in the past I was getting too caught up in the past and the future.”

Sabalenka said she expects a tough battle against Anisimova, who has won four of their five matches.

“She’s an incredible player, and I’m really happy to see her back,” Sabalenka said.

Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva continued her remarkable Australian Open debut when she came from 5-1 down in the final set to beat Diane Parry of France 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5).

The Russian player was in tears when she was one game from defeat but she produced a brilliant comeback, saving a match point at 2-5 before winning the deciding tiebreak 10-5.

Andreeva is the youngest player with two round of 16 major appearances since Gauff, then age 15, accomplished that feat at the 2020 Australian Open.

Marta Kostyuk is also in the round of 16 after defeating Elina Avanesyan, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, while Magdalena Frech def. Anastasia Zakharova, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.