The Latest: Gauff and doubles partner McNally lose in QF

By Associated Press 16 February 2021, 12:00AM

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Latest on the Australian Open (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

The extended run of the young American doubles team of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally — self-dubbed “McCoco” — has ended in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.

Gauff and McNally were beaten 7-6 (4), 6-1 by the fourth-seeded team of Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and American Nicole Melichar.

Gauff and McNally had a 4-1 lead in the opening set before a series of unforced errors saw Schuurs and Melichar stage a comeback. The winners took a 3-1 lead in the second set after a service break and closed out the match quickly.

The American pair had beaten two seeded teams in previous matches.

At the 2020 Australian Open, Gauff made her tournament debut by beating defending champion Naomi Osaka to reach the fourth round, then pushed eventual champion Sofia Kenin to three sets. But the 16-year-old Gauff lost to fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the second round last week.

___

1:50 p.m.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has advanced to a potential semifinal showdown against Serena Williams at the Australian Open by overpowering Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2.

Osaka will meet the winner of Tuesday night's quarterfinal match between Williams and No. 2-seeded Simona Halep. Williams is three wins away from a record-tying 24th major title.

Against Hsieh, Osaka hit seven aces, lost only two points on her first serve and was never broken.

Osaka has won 19 consecutive matches, a streak that includes a U.S. Open title in September. The streak also includes Osaka’s fourth-round win last week, when she saved two match points and swept the final four games to overtake Garbiñe Muguruza.

___

12:40 p.m.

The quarterfinals are underway at the Australian Open, with 2019 champion Naomi Osaka facing Hsieh Su-wei in the first match. The 35-year-old Hsieh is the oldest woman to make her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut.

Serena Williams, who is three wins away from a record-tying 24th major title, plays No. 2-seeded Simona Halep in the other women's match Tuesday.

On the men's side, eight-time Australian champion Novak Djokovic plays Alexander Zverev, and Grigor Dimitrov takes on 114th-ranked qualifier Aslan Karatsev.

___

More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 16 February 2021, 12:00AM

Trending Stories

Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>