Teen Gauff to face toughest challenge yet
American to meet seventh seed today in Wimbledon run
American teenager Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff has captured the hearts of fans with her dream run to Wimbledon’s fourth round but a stern examination awaits today in the form of seventh seed Simona Halep.
The 15-year-old’s popularity has soared off the charts in a memorable week at the All England Club, with organizers also recognizing her potential to grab attention and giving her a Centre Court matchup in the third round.
Gauff did not disappoint, saving two match points to beat Polona Hercog 3-6 7-6(7) 7-5, and similarities with Jennifer Capriati, who broke into the Top 10 at the age of 14, became harder to ignore.
Although Capriati struggled with fame at a young age, Gauff appears to have both feet firmly planted on the ground, drawing praise from 23-times Grand Slam winner Serena Williams who has been impressed by her maturity.
“I would be wrong to ... give her advice. She’s doing great,” Williams said. “There are some 15-year-olds, like me, who wouldn’t know what to do at Wimbledon. Then you have Coco ... (who is) on a different level. She’s totally capable and ready. Not every 15-year-old is the same.”
Eight-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer also took notice of the youngster’s mentality in her debut Grand Slam.
“I was terrible at 15, couldn’t be on a court for longer than an hourand-a-half. I would walk away,” Federer said. “She seems developed, she’s moving great. It’s one of her great strengths.”
Gauff’s success has been put down to her on-court thinking and ever-changing strategy, an inherent ability to try different things when the going gets tough. But in former world No. 1 Halep, she faces a potentially daunting task.
Halep’s baseline play could prove difficult for Gauff to overcome as some of her forehand returns have been punished in the first week, while the Romanian’s backhand is a force to be reckoned with.
Halep said she had never watched the teenager play before and had expected Hercog to go through but Gauff has already done her homework on the 2018 French Open champion.
“I watch her a lot,” Gauff said. “I’ve never ... practised with her. I don’t know how the ball would feel when I actually play, but I’m really familiar (with) how she plays just from watching her a lot.”
The ‘Big Three’ of Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic head into the second week of Wimbledon carrying the flag for the men’s game after a number of young upstarts failed to live up to their potential on the grandest stage.
The trio, with 14 Wimbledon titles between them, have been in blistering form while players such as Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas — younger men touted to end their hegemony at the majors — went out with a whimper.
Having dropped only one set each in their three rounds so far, the trio seem a safe bet to advance when they face fourth-round rivals who have never before made it to this stage at the All England Club.
Defending champion Djokovic, who endured a hurricane against Hubert Hurkacz before winning in four sets, takes on Frenchman Ugo Humbert for the first time.
“I’ve seen him in Roland Garros. I’ve seen him last year (at the) U. S. Open ... big serve, very explosive, very dynamic player,” said Djokovic, who is seeking a fifth Wimbledon title.
“He’s tall, has a big game from the back of the court, flat backhand, very solid. He can play anything really, he’s an all-around player.”
Eight-times winner Federer, who sealed his 350th Grand Slam match win when he dispatched France’s Lucas Pouille on Saturday, has barely been tested so far, barring his opening clash against Lloyd Harris where the Swiss rallied from a set down to win.
The 37-year-old meets 17th seed Matteo Berrettini who has claimed two titles this season, including one on grass in Stuttgart.
“I don’t know him well so that makes it a bit more tricky,” Federer, who warmed up for the tournament with his 10th Halle Open title, said.
“I saw him play in Halle, saw his run in Stuttgart. Now he’s backing it up here. That’s not easy, especially when you’re newer on the tour.”
Third seed Nadal, who has repeatedly expressed his displeasure about the seedings and draw, is the only one among the three who would face unseeded players until the semifinals, where he could take on Federer.
The Spaniard, who faced his biggest test so far against mercurial Australian Nick Kyrgios, will play a familiar rival in Portugal’s Joao Sousa.
“We know each other very well, practised plenty of times together. He’s a player that when he’s winning matches, he’s a super dangerous opponent against everybody,” Nadal said.