Coco Gauff’s dream of winning a first Wimbledon title is still alive after a hard-fought, race against time victory over Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. After the latest start in Wimbledon history, at 8.40pm, the American dropped the first set but fought back to clinch a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win, finishing just two minutes before the 11pm curfew.
Gauff hit nine double faults, including five in one game in the first set, but the quality of ball-striking was immense and the No 7 seed held her nerve to get the job done and reach the quarter-finals for the first time. The 22-year-old will now play another American, Jessica Pegula, for a place in the semis.
“Super happy to be in the quarters finally,” said Gauff, who pointed at her wrist after firing down an unstoppable serve on match point at 10.58pm. “I was looking at the clock the last service game. Honestly that match point I was going for serve and volley to finish it. This was probably my most dramatic match. I’m not used to racing against time.
“It’s a great accomplishment for me, first time in the quarters. Made the fourth round on my first time here. I just knew I had to hone in on the tennis I’ve been playing. Even if it was a tough match, I feel like this was my best match so far in the tournament.”
With the roof closed, the first ball was hit at 8.39pm, although since the point finished at 8.40pm, that’s the official start time. Either way, it meant that Gauff and Bencic, two of the best competitors on the women’s tour, had two hours, 20 minutes to get the match completed.
Gauff had won their last three encounters and began in a hurry, racing to a 3-0 lead despite saving break points in both her first two service games, one of which contained five double faults. The American hit a number of lines early on, much to Bencic’s frustration, and she had a point to extend her lead to 4-0.
But Bencic, a former Olympic champion and semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, knuckled down, holding serve, then breaking back when Gauff double-faulted again. Games stayed on serve until 4-4 when Bencic broke again and though Gauff saved two set points, one with a brilliant drop shot, she couldn’t stop the Swiss closing out the set.
Gauff took a bathroom break before the start of the second set and it seemed to do the trick, a break of serve putting her up 3-1. Bencic broke straight back but Gauff moved ahead again and this time held the advantage to level the match.
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The level of tennis increased again in the deciding set. Gauff broke on her way to a 2-0 lead and won one of the points of the match to save a break point at 2-1. But Bencic broke back anyway, only for Gauff to repeat the feat thanks to a deft drop shot.
Bencic was peppering the baseline with her groundstrokes and came through a tough service game to stay in touch at 3-4. Both players then held serve to make it 5-4 to Gauff, at which time tournament referee Denise Parnell signalled one more game. That was all the incentive Gauff needed as she served it out in style.
Pegula reached her first quarter-final at Wimbledon with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over another American, Iva Jovic, while Czech Karolina Muchova set up a clash with Naomi Osaka thanks to a 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 victory over former champion Barbora Krejcikova, surviving a mid-match wobble to make the last eight for a third time.
