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Gauff crushes Rakhimova to reach Australian Open second round

On Jan. 19, 2026, Coco Gauff advanced to the Australian Open second round at Rod Laver Arena, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets.
Reworking her serve for months, Gauff led the WTA Tour in 2025 with 431 double-faults and practised during a comfort break despite ongoing serve struggles.
With seven double-faults overall, Gauff needed two serves to finish her 6-2, 6-3 victory in 99 minutes against Kamilla Rakhimova.
Gauff will face left-handed Olga Danilovic in the second round after Danilovic defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams on Sunday, erasing a potential American matchup.
Saying she avoids early-round pressure, Gauff reflected on past Melbourne Park quarterfinals last year and said, `At this point, I just want to win the tournament so whether I lose first round or in the finals, I don't think I would be as satisfied.

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Reuters

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Gauff crushes Rakhimova to reach Australian Open second round

9 hours ago·United Kingdom

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Outlook India

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Australian Open 2026, Day 2: Coco Gauff Advances To Second Round Despite Serving Struggles

The 21-year-old Gauff has been reworking her serve for the last several months and practised some more during a comfort break in the match at Rod Laver Arena with Rakhimova

10 hours ago·New Delhi, India

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ESPN

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Gauff cruises to Round 2 despite serve struggles

Third-seeded Coco Gauff had some familiar struggles on serve but still had enough class and power to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 on Monday in a first-round match at the Australian Open.

10 hours ago·United States

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