The Australian Open runner-up recovered after losing the second set to clinch a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 victory, booking her spot in the last 16.

"It was a tough match," she reflected. "The first set was tight, it could have gone either way. I was happy it went my way after a good fight. In the second set, I missed a couple of shots. I didn't take the opportunities I had and she was there the whole time.

Then in the third set, it was just a battle. I managed to be solid, to play my game and to take the opportunities I didn't in the second set."

The 2016 French Open champion employed a mixture of powerful groundstrokes and precise counter-punching to neutralize Gauff's aggressive game. It paid off in the final set, as the 16-year old American crumbled under the pressure with several double faults. However, Muguruza had nothing but praise for her younger opponent.

"I don't look at her as a different player," Muguruza said after the match. "She's here and she's playing, and it doesn't matter how old she is. She a great competitor and she can play very well, as she's proven to us."

The ninth seed will face Britain's Johanna Konta in the next round, as Konta defeated Irina Camelia-Begu 6-0 6-4 in her second round match.

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