Coco Gauff survives Caroline Dolehide test in Australian Open ...

US Open champion Coco Gauff survived a first-set wobble to battle past Caroline Dolehide in their all-American encounter and move into the Australian Open third round.

Dolehide served for the opening set after going toe-to-toe with Gauff from the baseline, but her teenage rival came up good in the biggest moments to hit back and eventually prevail 7-6(2) 6-2.

Gauff looked to be in cruise control after opening up a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but Dolehide refused to go away and got the reward for her aggressive hitting when she broke back.

Both players then enjoyed comfortable holds until 5-5, when a scruffy service game from Gauff suddenly presented her compatriot the opportunity to serve for the set.

The setback appeared to spark Gauff into life as she broke back immediately to force a tie-break, where she quickly ripped into a 4-1 lead with a bruising forehand winner.

Soon she had five set points – and although a stunning Dolehide winner flashed past her on the first, her opponent went long on the next as the opener went the way of the fourth seed.

Gauff swatted away a break point at 1-1 before two quick breaks of her own saw her take control of the second set as she dialled up the pace from the back of the court.

An untimely hiccup saw her double-fault on her second match point, and then go long on her third, but eventually – after another double-fault – Dolehide netted as Gauff marched on.

'I think I still look good!' - Gauff in joyful mood after her win

"I wasn't nervous today. I was just trying to play good tennis," Gauff said on court.

"If you give her something short, she's going to punish you for it. I think if I could go back, I would try and play deeper and more heavy, like I did in the second [set]."

Gauff will next meet Alycia Parks, another American, in Melbourne. Parks surprised former US Open finalist and 32nd seed Leylah Fernandez 7-5 6-4 to reach the third round at a major for the first time.

It began in ominous fashion for the second seed as she dropped two double-faults in her opening service game, a blight on her game in recent times, before staring down a break point.

But after the pair traded breaks early in the set, Sabalenka took control, pouncing on anything short as her winner count began to rack up.

The Belarusian gained the crucial break in the eighth game, quickly wrapped up the set, then immediately broke twice at the start of the second.

Fruhvirtova continued to battle but the gulf in class was too great as Sabalenka cruised home, closing out the match when a two-handed backhand struck the net and fortuitously trickled onto her opponent's side of court.

"I think for someone 16 years old, she’s doing an incredible job," Sabalenka said about her opponent afterwards.

"I wish I was on her level when I was 16. She’s an unbelievable player and I’m sure she’ll keep going, keep working and she’ll be at the top pretty soon. I’m super happy with the win. I tried to focus on myself, not anything else, and fight for every point."

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