Australian Open: Coco Gauff Downs Olga, Danilovic Medvedev Sinks Frenchman Quentin Halys

American tennis ace Coco Gauff moved into the third round of the Australian Open with ease as she got the better of Olga Danilovic, while Daniil Medvedev advanced past Quentin Halys.

Gauff required just

78 minutes to blast past Danilovic and moved into the Australian Open third round with a 6-2, 6-2 win on Margaret Court Arena.

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The 21-year-old emphatically won the first five games to stamp her authority on the contest and cruised home It set up showdown next against fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, who downed home hope Storm Hunter in straight sets.

“Near perfect,” said Gauff, whose best performance in Melbourne was a semi-final in 2024.

As in her first-round win, the two-time major winner’s return of serve was her most potent weapon, helping her race 5-0 clear before Danilovic got on the board.

Gauff’s first-round march was marred by too many unforced errors and slew of double faults, but she cut them down and began the second set as she finished the first.

Breaking the 69th-ranked Serb immediately, she consolidated and Danilovic, who made the last 16 in 2025, had no answers, crumbling under the onslaught.

Medvedev won 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against the Frenchman in just over three hours to also secure his berth in the third roud of the Happy Slam.

“It was a very tough match, happy I managed to fight,” said Medvedev, who polished off the match in style with his 14th ace.

“Happy to play some good tennis to win. I still cannot get used exactly to the court and still am missing a little power in my shots.

“But definitely playing better, feeling good.”

The first set against 83rd-ranked Halys was an almighty battle stretching over 68 minutes. Halys eventually pulled through on the 20th point of a marathon tiebreak, then immediately put pressure on Medvedev’s serve at the start of the second.

The Frenchman duly broke and Medvedev, who has vowed to be more “positive” on court, gave the first fleeting signs of losing his cool.

The 29-year-old, the beaten finalist in 2021, 2022 and 2024, reset and straight away broke back with a terrific two-handed backhand down the line.

The 2021 US Open champion rattled off three games in a row to lead 3-2 and was firmly in the ascendancy as he took the second and third sets to turn the screw on the flagging 29-year-old Halys, before racing away in the fourth.

Medvedev, whose record was poor at the Grand Slams last year, warmed up for another crack at the Melbourne Park title by winning the Brisbane International.

“I need to rebuild my confidence step by step,” Medvedev said.

“Just trying to enjoy it and play some good tennis,” he added admitting his poor recent record in majors.