Coco Gauff has a shot to make her first Wimbledon quarterfinal, but she is trying to go further than her opponent.

Coco Gauff is no stranger to the fourth round of Wimbledon.

 

LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff is no stranger to making the fourth round at Wimbledon. She went that far as a 15-year-old newcomer playing in her first Grand Slam tournament in 2019, and then again on her next appearance in 2021.

She’s never played in the quarterfinals of the All England Club, though she’ll get an opportunity to go back after overcoming British qualifying player Sonay Kartal 6-1, at 6-0, at the end of round three on Friday.

For someone who was at the two Grand Slam finals before turning 20 — and winning one of them at the last U.S. Open — reaching the quarterfinals, let alone at Wimbledon isn’t that an unreasonable goal.

“I feel like at this point, it feels as if losing in the fourth (round) or the quarterfinals feels the same in a way, just because I do have such big aspirations,” Gauff added who made it to semi-finals at each of the Australian Open and French Open this year. “I am not sure if it is fair to put it this way however once you’ve won you sort of think of it as a win for the rest of your life. I try not to do that, evidently. If you win several quarterfinals in Slams generally, it is a sign that you are destined to go to the semifinals. If you make it to a couple semifinals and you’d like to get into your way to the semifinals.”

Gauff is among two previous U.S. Open champions who are hoping to advance past the fourth round of Wimbledon in the very first time. Emma Raducanu is back into the second week for the first time since making her debut at the age of 18 in 2021. In that year, she had to pull out due to breathing issues in the second set of her match against Ajla Tomljanovic. Later, she said her experience was the moment she “caught up” with her.

After two hampered by injuries seasons The British favourite at home has been playing her greatest tennis since securing her 2021 U.S. Open title as the qualifier. She defeated the world’s No. 9-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court.

The apprehension of performing in the presence of a home crowd that has high expectations seems to be gone.

“Today was really up there with the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court,” Raducanu stated. “I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I’m sure I was asking myself how many times in your life will you get be able to be on an entire Centre Court?”

Gauff has also been a fan favourite at Wimbledon ever since she exploded onto the grass after defeating Venus Williams in the first round of the 2019 season.

It was a odd feeling to the American to realize that a substantial portion of the public was going to be averse to the American on her Friday. This is because she would be against Kartal who is who is a British qualifying player who had already surpassed expectations only by getting into the third round.

“I think this is my first time ever playing a British player here, so I was a little bit nervous honestly, going in,” Gauff said to the crowd after winning on the No. 1 Court. “Because I knew that you guys would support her. That’s totally understandable.”

Gauff will face another American next, Emma Navarro, who she defeated by a straight set at Auckland on January. Navarro is making two appearances at Wimbledon she lost her first match in round one of last year, and also making the fourth round of the French Open in June.

“I think when I played her at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t necessarily ready for that challenge,” Navarro stated about Gauff. “I believe I have the ability in me that I can beat someone like Gauff. It’s the matter of playing it on a larger stage.”

Other women who advanced into the Round of 16 were Madison Keys, Paula Badosa, Donna Vekic and French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini.

Raducanu and is playing mixed doubles alongside Andy Murray, will next play the qualifier Lulu Sun, who became the first woman from New Zealand to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon during the Open period.

Sun has a lot the same way as Raducanu. Both share Chinese origins from their maternal side, and Sun is also able to get through the Grand Slam as a qualifier.

“Qualifiers are actually sometimes more dangerous,” Raducanu stated. “I’m really up for a battle, though.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis