Coco Gauff books first-ever Wimbledon semifinal appearance
London, July 8
The former French Open champion and American tennis star Coco Gauff made it into her first-ever Wimbledon semifinal, beating compatriot Jessica Pegula in her quarterfinal match.
On Tuesday, Gauff outclassed Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 after dropping the first set, securing her first-ever Wimbledon semifinal appearance and now has a shot at her second Grand Slam title, having won the French Open last year.
The one-hour, 48-minute win made the two-time Grand Slammer the seventh active women's player to reach the semifinals or beyond in all Grand Slam events in her career, joining the elite list of Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Gauff, who played four successive three-set matches in her past five outings, called her run at Wimbledon "pretty insane", having entered the tournament with a four-match losing streak on grass, coming from a set down to beat Belinda Bencic in the round of 16.
She will be a favourite as her next challenge is the number 10 seed Karolina Muchova, against whom she has a strong 6-1 win-loss record.
"Considering I had not won a match on grass in two years before this tournament ... I am definitely just really happy with how I played today," she said. "Jess is an incredible opponent and person; playing against her is never easy. I am just happy to get through this one today," she added.
"I felt like in the first set I was maybe rushing out of some points too early, either trying to get out of the rally or overhit too much," Gauff said. "Towards the end, I just really honed in on my game and realised I do not have to play a spectacular point every time to win, even though there were some spectacular points," she continued.
"I think just trusting myself, trusting that my groundstrokes are good enough to be with anyone on this surface. I think my last match against Belinda showed that. Obviously, today against Jess I think showed that, as well," she signed off.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Americans may celebrate, but as an Indian fan, I'm just happy to see such high-quality tennis. Gauff's adaptability on grass, especially after that losing streak, is truly commendable. Muchova will be tough but Gauff has the edge. Let's hope we get a classic final! 🎾
Good for her, but I feel Coco relies too much on athleticism and not enough on strategy. Against top players like Sabalenka or Swiatek, that won't cut it. Also, it's a bit sad that Indian tennis players like Sumit Nagal or Yuki Bhambri don't get similar media coverage back home. Just saying...
Superb performance! Gauff's run reminds me of Sania Mirza's breakthrough - a young girl breaking barriers and inspiring millions. As Indians, we appreciate grit and determination, and Coco has both in abundance. Muchova better be ready! 🇮🇳🎾
Coco is the future of American tennis! Living in Delhi now, I've been following her career since she beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019. Her composure under pressure is remarkable. 🏆
As someone who plays tennis recreationally in Bangalore, watching Gauff's trajectory is inspiring. She's not just a player, she's a role model for young girls everywhere, including in India. Her honesty about mental struggles and hard work resonates deeply. Best of luck for the semis! 💪
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