"I know my mum gets nervous" - Coco Gauff on avoiding her parents' gaze during her second round win over Raducanu at the Australian Open

Coco Gauff says she tries to avoid acknowledging her parents during matches because they are too nervous.

The American came through an edgy Australian Open second-round encounter with fellow young star Emma Raducanu but not without a few scares along the way.

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Despite looking in control of the match in the second set at 4-2 up, a series of unforced errors from Gauff allowed her opponent to force a tie-break, with mother Candi and father Corey looking visibly distressed in the stands.

Thankfully for the 18-year-old, she was able to make it through and laughed about her parents’ reactions when speaking to Eurosport afterwards.

“I don’t look at [my nervous parents] too much in the match,” she said. “When I say, ‘come on!’, it’s usually in the direction of the box.

“I know my mum gets nervous… I only got a peek of her on the screen with her head down, and I was like [head in hands]. I didn’t know what was going on in her head then, and I don’t think I want to know!”

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Watching for Eurosport, Tim Henman described it as a torturous experience for Gauff's parents in attendance but they would ultimately be proud of their daughter's display.

“It must be torture [for those watching and supporting]!," he said. "We always say in team events it’s easier watching than playing, but then if you’re watching your child on the court, it must be very tough for Coco’s parents.

"They’ll be thrilled; it wasn’t the easiest match… playing someone who is a big rival in a night match at a Grand Slam in only the second round… Coco deserves a lot of credit.”