American teenage sensation Coco Gauff is set for an intriguing US Open third-round match against defending champion Naomi Osaka after beating Timea Babos 6-2 4-6 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The 15-year-old, who came to prominence at Wimbledon, and the Hungarian world 112 produced a superb spectacle.
Gauff broke three times in the opening set before Babos fought back to level.
In a third set of lung-bursting rallies, Gauff crucially broke in the 10th game to seal victory.
The American is back on court on Friday for a doubles match and said that she would think about the match against Japanese world number one Osaka on Saturday – the day of their encounter.
She also paid tribute to Babos for her part in a thrilling match, saying: “Timea played so good and I’m so happy to get through.
“I was tested a lot. We both just tested each other. If I didn’t win the last point maybe she would have won the match.”
