Tennis: Tennis-Gauff in Auckland quarters, Svitolina edges out Raducanu

BRISBANE (Reuters) -U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff cruised past fellow teen Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-3 6-0 at the Auckland Classic on Thursday, setting up a quarter-final against Varvara Gracheva in the Australian Open warm-up event.

Emma Raducanu, playing her first tournament following an eight-month injury layoff, was unable to claim a place in the last eight after the former Flushing Meadows champion lost 6-7(5) 7-6(3) 6-1 to second seed Elina Svitolina.

Fruhvirtova, 16, matched Gauff in the early stages but once the American grabbed a 3-2 lead there was no looking back.

Gauff raced to 5-0 lead in the second set, and while the 19-year-old faced two break points serving for the match she saved both to win her first career meeting with the Czech.

“(Fruhvirtova) started off playing really well, and I was able to raise my level,” Gauff said. “I thought I served well and did better on the returns, and I think I played a great match today.”

Briton Raducanu won the first set of her match and led 3-1 in the second set tie-break before Svitolina fought back to force the decider.

The Ukrainian upped her game in the third set to take the match and set up a clash with Marie Bouzkova.

“It was really a great match from both of us. I think Emma played a great match as well,” Svitolina said.

“It was really difficult physically, I just hope I will recover for tomorrow.”

At the Brisbane International, another tune-up event for the Melbourne Park Grand Slam, which runs from Jan. 14-28, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko beat Karolina Pliskova 6-2 4-6 6-3 to reach the quarters.

Latvian Ostapenko, who will meet former world number one Victoria Azarenka for a place in the last four, raced through the first set but looked frustrated as Pliskova fought back to claim the second.

“I get really mad when I miss some important points and I get really angry at myself,” Ostapenko said.

“I’m a fighter and I really want to play kind of perfect. But I know nothing is always perfect. It’s just the way I am.”

Two-time champion Azarenka beat France’s Clara Burel 7-5 6-2, the 34-year-old Belarusian powering to a 4-1 lead in the opener before Burel drew level.

In the men’s section, all eyes will be on Rafa Nadal, who faces local hope Jason Kubler later on Thursday as the Spaniard continues his return from a lengthy injury layoff.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Peter Rutherford)