Teenage phenomenon Coco Gauff missed out on her first Grand Slam quarter-final as fellow American Sofia Kenin fought back to win in the Australian Open fourth round. Gauff, 15, lost 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-0 to the 14th seed in Melbourne. She showed all her undoubted quality in the first set, but tired in the third as Kenin wore her down.
Kenin will next face Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, who beat Serena Williams’ conqueror Wang Qiang in straight sets. After a warm embrace at the net, Kenin and Gauff broke out in tears following an intense battle on Melbourne Arena.
Kenin, 21, dropped her racquet and cupped her face with both hands after taking her second match point to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final. “I was just fighting,” Kenin said. “She played some good points at crucial moments but I just had to calm down and relax.”
