Jodi Berg battled Coco Gauff before losing in the second round at the Australian Open.
The 25-year-old British player won only two matches the last time they met on grass in 2023, but she threatened to push the best player of the match into the decider before losing 6-3 and 7-5.
Berg missed most of last season with wrist and ankle injuries, and has vowed to enjoy the experience of playing in one of the biggest stadiums in the world.
After a tense start on Rod Laver Arena, that's exactly what she did, showing her best form and upsetting third seed Gauff.
After trailing 3-1 in the second set, Berg won four matches in a row and succeeded in forcing a deciding set, but Gauff responded to reach the third round.
Berg has experience playing on Center Court at Wimbledon and on Louis Armstrong Court at the US Open, and looked around Rod Laver Arena as she walked out.
The evening almost came to an end when Gauff raced to a 3-0 lead, and Berg gave her coaching team a look of relief after holding serve from 15-40 in the next game.
From there, Burrage began to play better and better, taking the lead at every opportunity and forcing Gauff back.
The American moved with a set and broke, but Berg broke his serve twice in a row. However, she was unable to serve for the set at 5-3, and successive double faults gave Gauff another serve at 5-5.
“It was difficult, her serve was really good,” the former US Open champion said. “I was just trying to manage it.
“She really upped her game midway through the second set. I was just trying to be aggressive when I could. When she messed up anything, she hit a winner.”
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