American superstar Coco Gauff has overcome a scare from gutsy Brit Jodie Burrage to fight her way into the Australian Open third round.

No.3 seed Gauff, who won the season-ending WTA finals then led Team USA to United Cup glory, teed up a clash with Canadian Leylah Fernandez with a 6-3 7-5 win at Rod Laver Arena.

The 2023 US Open champion is attempting to better last year's semi-final outing at Melbourne Park.

But she would have been happy to get through her second-round match in straight sets on Wednesday night.

Gauff easily could have let the second set slip against Burrage, 25, as she battled with double faults and a shaky serve - only for the unheralded but powerful Londoner to fail to take her chance to level the match.

"It was tough," Gauff said.

"She was serving really well so I was just trying to manage that.

"Pretty much all the first service points I was pretty much on defence.

"I felt like I doubled (double faulted) a little bit but she was returning well so it put pressure on me, on my serve.

"I was just trying to tell myself to put it deep when I could ... because if I landed it short she'd hit a winner."

Gauff, 20, dominated proceedings from the baseline in the opening set and wrapped it up inside 35 minutes.

She broke Burrage in the opening game of the second set and looked set to cruise from there.

But Burrage dug deep, showcasing her powerful serve before unleashing some scintillating forehand winners to break Gauff and level the set at 3-3.

The Englishwoman overcame two double faults to take a 4-3 lead in the second set.

Burrage, 25, earned two break points and converted the second with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner to give herself the chance to serve for the set.

But she coughed up three unforced errors before a double fault to blow her opportunity.

Then, Burrage double-faulted to gift Gauff a break and the American served out the match.

Gauff will face 2021 US Open finalist Fernandez for a chance to play either Naomi Osaka or Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.