Coco Gauff and Venus Williams meet again in first round of Australian Open
Coco Gauff, the youngest woman in the Australian Open, and Venus Williams, the oldest, are meeting again. The 15-year-old Gauff and 39-year-old Williams will face each other in the first round of another Grand Slam tournament after the American teenager was drawn against Williams on Thursday at Melbourne Park.
Last July, Gauff's victory over Williams on the opening day of Wimbledon catapulted the teen to stardom. At 14, she was the youngest qualifier in tournament history when she ousted Williams in straight sets and ultimately advanced to the round of 16.
Serena Williams, Venus' younger sister, and Naomi Osaka are on the other side of the bracket. The winner of the Gauff-Williams match could meet Osaka in the third round and 23-time major winner Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams just won the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. It was her first title since her victory at the 2017 Australian Open three years ago and her first since giving birth to her daughter.
In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer could meet in the semifinals after they were drawn into the same half of the field at Melbourne Park, where play begins Monday.
Australian Open qualifying and practice have been affected by the bushfire crisis. Air levels in Melbourne, where the tournament is being held, have reached hazardous levels and one qualifier fell to the ground from a coughing fit during a game.
