Gauff in fourth round again, but no surprise this time

  • 7/3/2021
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LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Seventeen-year-old American Coco Gauff matched her dream Wimbledon debut as she again reached the fourth round with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of Kaja Juvan on Saturday. Gauff, the 23rd seed, stormed through the opening games with a barrage of power serves on Centre Court but was asked some awkward questions by 102nd-ranked Juvan. As she often does, Gauff had all the answers as she reached the second week and a last-16 clash with Germany"s former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber. "It"s a good feeling to be on this court and I"m super honoured that the tournament allows me to play on it. It"s not often a 17-year-old gets to play here!" Gauff, who has become a darling of the Wimbledon crowds, said on court. "I wasn"t as nervous as in my second round match -- the fans always bring the energy on Centre Court." When Gauff reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old qualifier in 2019, beating one of her idols Venus Williams en route, it was something of a sensation. Two years later, despite her age and playing in only her seventh Grand Slam tournament, Gauff"s progress is far less of a surprise and she is now a serious title contender. She reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros last month and has played with supreme confidence and calmness to claim three straight-sets wins here so far. Gauff raced into a 5-1 lead against Juvan in 18 minutes but briefly went off the boil as she lost the next two games with a few errors creeping in. After winning the opening set she had to fend off break points at the start of the second before establishing a lead. Slovenian Juvan fought tenaciously to try and throw Gauff off her stride, but it was a hopeless task against a player who already plays with the maturity of a seasoned pro. Gauff went 40-0 ahead as she served at 5-3 and although Juvan saved a couple of match points she whacked a forehand long on the third one to hand Gauff victory.

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