Coco Gauff’s aspirations for her first Wimbledon title continue after a fiercely contested victory against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. The match, commencing at the latest recorded time in Wimbledon history at 8:40 PM, saw Gauff initially drop the first set but rally to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph, finishing just moments before the 11 PM curfew.
Despite struggling with nine double faults, including an astonishing five in a single game during the first set, Gauff displayed remarkable ball-striking and composure, ultimately reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. The 19-year-old will now face fellow American Jessica Pegula for a spot in the semi-finals.
“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 match officially began with the first ball struck at 8:39 PM, even though the first point concluded at 8:40 PM. This timing meant that Gauff and Bencic, both elite competitors, had just two hours and 20 minutes to complete their match.
Having triumphed in their previous three matchups, Gauff started strong, racing to a 3-0 lead while saving break points in her initial service games, which included five double faults. The American’s precision early on frustrated Bencic, who had an opportunity to fall behind by 4-0.
However, Bencic, the former Olympic champion and last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist, steadied herself, holding serve and breaking back when Gauff double-faulted once more. The games remained on serve until 4-4, when Bencic broke again. Although Gauff saved two set points, including one with a brilliant drop shot, she was unable to prevent Bencic from taking the first set.
After a brief bathroom break prior to the second set, Gauff seemed rejuvenated, breaking serve to lead 3-1. Although Bencic quickly responded with a break of her own, Gauff regained the lead and maintained it to level the match.
The quality of play intensified in the deciding set. Gauff broke to take a 2-0 lead and showcased one of the match’s highlights by saving a break point at 2-1. Despite Bencic breaking back, Gauff quickly responded with another break, aided by a deft drop shot.
Bencic kept up the pressure with powerful groundstrokes, managing to hold serve in a challenging game to stay within reach at 3-4. Both players then held serve, leading to a 5-4 advantage for Gauff, at which point tournament referee Denise Parnell indicated that only one game remained. This provided Gauff the motivation to serve out the match with style.
Pegula advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over another American, Iva Jovic, while Czech player Karolina Muchova set up a confrontation with Naomi Osaka following her 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 win against former champion Barbora Krejcikova, overcoming a mid-match slump to reach the last eight for the third time.
