As Cori “Coco” Gauff fell back 5-2 in the second set to Polona Hercog after dropping the first set, it looked as though the 15-year-old’s extraordinary Wimbledon run was coming to a close.
But the girl who took down her idol in Venus Williams wasn’t going to go down that easy. She fought back, forcing the seventh game, and won.
Then, the third and final set went to seven games again. Gauff won. The 15-year-old advanced to the Round of 16 of Wimbledon.
“I always knew that I can come back no matter what the score is and i just kind of went for my shots and I’m happy that slice down the line went in,” she said on the ESPN broadcast after the game.
According to SportsCenter, Gauff is the fifth-youngest woman to advance to the Round of 16 in the Open Era.
Gauff had jumped to a 4-1 lead in the third set before dropping the next three. Hercog looked like she gaining control as she tied the set at four.
But then Gauff shut her down with four straight points, including an ace, to take a 5-4 lead in the final set.
Hercog took the following set to tie it at five and force another tie-breaker.
Gauff won every point of the following set to take a 6-5 lead.
In the next set, Hercog went up 40-30 before Gauff won three straight points to clinch the match.
“It was my first match on center court, so I guess people say court one’s my court, but maybe center could be my court as well,” she said with a laugh.
The 15-year-old’s run of excellence continues at Wimbledon.
Gauff advances.
