Underdog Fernandez seeks payback vs No. 3 Gauff in Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines — Leylah Fernandez remains undeterred as she prepares to take on third seed Coco Gauff in the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday in Melbourne.

Despite Gauff’s impressive credentials and recent form, the 22-year-old Canadian is eager to shake up the tournament and prove herself on one of tennis’s biggest stages.

Gauff, a 10-time WTA Tour titleholder, enters the match with a psychological edge, having defeated Fernandez in straight sets during the United Cup earlier this season. The American also showcased her resilience in the second round, overcoming a spirited challenge from Jodie Burrage, 6-3, 7-5.

Burrage stunned Gauff with a strong start to the second set, racing to a 5-3 lead and raising hopes of forcing a decider against her heavily favored opponent. However, Gauff regrouped just in time, showcasing her resilience and dominance by winning the next four games to close out the set and secure the match.

Meanwhile, Fernandez, the former US Open finalist, is riding the momentum of two strong wins over Yuliia Starodubtseva and Cristina Bucsa. These victories allowed the 30th seed to break her Australian Open jinx, advancing to the third round for the first time after years of early exits.

Fernandez entered the tournament with a modest 29% win rate in Melbourne — her lowest among all Grand Slam events — but has improved it to 44% with her latest run. A victory against Gauff would mark her first appearance in the fourth round of a major since reaching the French Open quarterfinals in 2020.

However, beating Starodubtseva and Bucsa, ranked 100th and 110th respectively, is a far cry from overcoming Gauff, one of the WTA Tour's most dominant players. Fernandez will need to summon her very best — and more — to pull off a reversal.

The stakes are high for both players, as the winner will advance to face either Naomi Osaka or Belinda Bencic in another blockbuster matchup.

The third round also features marquee showdowns such as Emma Raducanu vs. No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 8 Emma Navarro vs. Ons Jabeur, sixth-ranked Elena Rybakina vs. Dayana Yastremska, and top seed Aryna Sabalenka vs. Clara Tauson.