Gauff holds nerve to join Sabalenka in Italian Open third round

Coco Gauff survived a scare at this year's Italian Open, coming back from a set down to beat qualifier Victoria Mboko 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 as Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz both cruised through their opening matches.

World No 3 Gauff will play Magda Linette in the third round in Rome after prevailing despite being far from her best in a match which signalled more progress from her up-and-coming opponent.

Canadian Mboko played with a maturity which defied the 153 places separating her from Gauff in the world rankings in a prime-time clash on centre court.

The 18-year-old has risen from 333 to 156 since the start of the year and the Foro Italico crowd quickly took to her confident, and powerful play.

Mboko had Gauff on the ropes in the first set, breaking the former US Open winner four times, but eventually gave way to her more experienced opponent who is one of the favourites for overall victory after losing to Sabalenka in the recent Madrid final.

"It was a tough match, Victoria came out playing some tough tennis, I knew she was going to do from watching some of her previous matches," said Gauff.

"But overall I'm just happy that was able to step up my game."

Current world No 1 Sabalenka swept past Russia's Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.

Sabalenka will play Sofia Kenin in the next round after the American beat another Russian in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka has reached the final of her last four tournaments, winning both in Madrid and in another 1000 series in Miami.

"I know that if I bring my best game and my fight spirit on court, I know that I can win this tournament," Sabalenka told reporters.

Emma Raducanu got off to a flying start with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Jil Teichmann, a lucky loser who replaced Ekaterina Alexandrova following the Russian's withdrawal with a shoulder injury.