Jodie Burrage found her range to win four games in a row against Coco Gauff (Image: Getty)
Jodie Burrage admitted she played “a horrible game” serving for the second set before going down to .
After losing a nervy first set, the British No.7 found her range to win four games in a row against the American superstar to lead 5-3.
But the injury-dogged world No.173 then dropped her serve after sending down a double fault and did not win another game.
The former US Open champion, who dropped her serve three times, recovered to win 6-3 7-5 under the roof in the main Rod Laver Arena.
Burrage said: “I thought it was on my racquet today, and that’s something I can take a lot of confidence in. I ended up serving for that second set and played a horrible game, but sometimes that’s the way it goes.
“I had given everything to try and break her that I kind of just said: ‘Okay, I’ve broken her’. Kind of relaxed a little bit. As soon as you do that against a player like her, well, you saw what happened.
“It didn’t go well for me. I really felt like I should have taken that second. I feel like it would have been interesting to see a third set.
“But this is the level that I want to be playing, I’m going to take a lot of confidence from the fact that she’s No. 3 in the world.”
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All four Brits players were in action simultaneously in the early evening on a windy, chilly evening after rain.
Lucky loser Harriet Dart took a set off semi-finalist Donna Vekic before going down 4-6 6-0 6-2 on Court 14.
The British No.4 said: It was a tough match. Very challenging conditions for us both today with getting moved courts very last moment, being very late, wind going everywhere, that wasn’t exactly pleasant.
It didn’t feel like the prettiest tennis definitely. I felt like I was definitely in it even though the scoreline wasn’t great in the second set, there was a couple of points here and there. I was trying to do the right things, had my chances, I just didn’t really take them.”