Read Sean Ingle’s report
Second set: Halep* 6-3, 2-1 Gauff (*denotes server): The kid won’t give up. There she goes, earning two break points. She misses the first; she forces a backhand error on the second, and she celebrates pointedly. At which point, however, she asks to see the doctor. He gives her a tablet. She might be suffering from a stomach problem.
Simona Halep speaks! “I’m happy I could play my best tennis. I’m not comparing myself with last year. Last year was the best because I won the French Open. I try to be a better person on court.”
Simona Halep beats Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3!
Halep doesn’t want any more funny business. Strong serving takes her into a 40-0 lead. Then Gauff slaps a backhand from left to right. Halep stretches and hooks wide. 30-15. But another good serve out wide from Halep elicits a tired return from Gauff. Two more match points. And this time Gauff belts a forehand wide. She challenges the call, but she knows. It’s all over. But the story has surely only just begun. This surely won’t be the last we see of the magnificent Coco Gauff, even though she’s come up short against the magnificent Simona Halep today. Hopefully the 15-year-old cherishes the adoring whistles and cheers from the Court 1 crowd as she takes her leave.
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Second set: Halep 6-3, 5-3 Gauff* (*denotes server): Serving to stay in the match, Gauff looks forlorn. She’s running out of answers against the formidable Simona Halep, who quickly earns two match points. Naturally, Gauff saves the first with a Federer-esque drop volley, dug out from down by her feet. 30-40. That was absurd. Then Halep knocks a backhand inches wide, challenging unsuccessfully. That’s two match points saved. Somehow Gauff stirs and holds. She saved two match points against Polona Hercog...
Second set: Halep* 6-3, 5-2 Gauff (*denotes server): Halep consolidates the break easily. She’s a game from victory. Halep doesn’t look like another Hercog.
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Second set: Halep 6-3, 4-2 Gauff* (*denotes server): The first two points are shared. But Gauff’s making a few errors. She finds herself two break points down. Halep, in no mood to let this drag on, takes advantage.
Second set: Halep* 6-3, 3-2 Gauff (*denotes server): Halep holds to 15.
Second set: Halep 6-3, 2-2 Gauff* (*denotes server): Love-30 looks problematic for Gauff. Is her stomach playing up? If it is she finds a way to disguise it and wins the next four points to hold.
Second set: Halep* 6-3, 2-1 Gauff (*denotes server): The kid won’t give up. There she goes, earning two break points. She misses the first; she forces a backhand error on the second, and she celebrates pointedly. At which point, however, she asks to see the doctor. He gives her a tablet. She might be suffering from a stomach problem.
Second set: Halep 6-3, 2-0 Gauff* (*denotes server): Alarm bells are ringing as Halep earns a break point - but when Gauff has to charge to the net, she manages not to do a Dan Evans and makes sure the ball goes back over it, forcing deuce. But Halep keeps pressing, keeps probing, and the youngster can’t do much more to keep the Romanian at bay. Halep, the big old spoilsport, breaks and is on the way to victory.
Second set: Halep* 6-3, 1-0 Gauff (*denotes server): Halep holds comfortably enough.
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Simona Halep wins the first set 6-3!
Gauff is serving to keep the set alive. And she’s in a spot of bother at 0-30. She tries a drop shot, but Halep is too fast and alert. She gets there and knocks a backhand down the line for three set points. Gauff hits a backhand deep. It’s called out. She challenges. It was in. She’s young - good eyesight. Then she sends a big serve out wide to force it to 15-40. But the reprieve is momentary. When she tries another volley Halep punishes her, slashing a forehand away to take the opener. Gauff will have to do it the hard way again.
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First set: Halep* 5-3 Gauff (*denotes server): Gauff gets into a lot of Halep’s service games. And she does hit a lot of lovely backhands. At 15-all she takes control with one and makes Halep run with a volley. Halep scoots forward and dabs a forehand wide. She wastes another challenge on it. Two big forehands turn the game lift Halep to deuce, but Gauff keeps forcing the issue by coming to the net and that tactic helps her to deuce. Yet Halep holds.
First set: Halep 4-3 Gauff* (*denotes server): The first two points are shared. And it goes to deuce. Gauff is finding it tough to deal with Halep’s defensive skills. It keeps coming back at you. But Gauff is undeterred. She holds on and hangs in there. In her box her parents look pensive.
First set: Halep* 4-2 Gauff (*denotes server): There’s no sign of Gauff giving up. But Halep’s such a hustler. Gauff drills a cracking backhand down the line, but Halep hunts it down and seals the game with a crosscourt forehand sliced winner.
First set: Halep 3-2 Gauff* (*denotes server): There’s trouble for Gauff when Halep, ignoring the noise, plays some of her best stuff to move into a 0-30 lead. Gauff’s response is a razor-sharp forehand for 15-30. Gauff gets it back to 30-all, but Halep earns a break point. Gauff saves it with a backhand that lands right on the line. Reminder: 15 years old. Another reminder: Halep has seen it all. A drive volley brings up another break point. But Gauff shrugs her shoulders and produces a calm-as-you-like volley for deuce, delivered with such nonchalance, you feel it should be illegal. But Halep keeps banging on the door and the pressure tells when Gauff misjudges a backhand, slapping it into the net.
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First set: Halep* 2-2 Gauff (*denotes server): Now it’s Halep who looks jittery, a double-fault at 15-30 handing Gauff two break points. However Halep saves the first, banging a backhand away to get Gauff running, then barrelling forward to win the point. Then 30-40 becomes deuce, Gauff sending a forehand long. Halep holds when she overpowers Gauff with a big backhand.
First set: Halep 1-2 Gauff* (*denotes server): Gauff settles into this one quickly, piercing strikes making it 30-0. A 119mph serve forces a duff return from Halep for 40-0. She holds to 15.
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First set: Halep* 1-1 Gauff (*denotes server): The game goes to 30, signalling Gauff’s determination not to get too down on herself. Soon Gauff has a break point. Halep will give you chances on serve - Gauff breaks back when she outlasts the Romanian in a long baseline rally.
First set: Halep 1-0 Gauff* (*denotes server): It’s the youngster to open the serving on Court 1 - and they begin with an intense baseline rally, ending with a backhand winner from Gauff. But the nerves creep in, taking hold, errors giving Halep two break points. Halep can’t take the first, missing a forehand. The next rally’s absorbing. But it goes Halep’s way when Gauff, charging to the net, decides to leave a slice from the Romanian and watches in horror as it lands well inside the line. Well, that’s not the start she wanted.
Tok! Tok! Tok! They’re knocking up. Here in the media centre there’s a huge queue for Court 1 passes. Everyone wants to see her.
They’re on court. Coco Gauff and some other player. Just kidding. Simona Halep’s bloody brilliant. Big fan of Halep over here. The little Romanian’s a class act.
Pre-match reading
Hello. What were you doing when you were 15? Whatever it was I assume the answer isn’t: starring in front of millions in one of the most famous sporting events in the world. But don’t get too down. The thing about genius is it’s meant to be unique. There’s really no point judging yourself against the achievements of Coco Gauff; you might as well be kicking yourself for not being able to swim faster than a shark.
What a talent. What a story. It’s not often you get to see something like this unfold before your very eyes. But here we are. And this is happening. Just over a week ago only tennis nerds had heard of Coco Gauff. Now even people with no interest in sport have an interest in her. She’s beaten Venus Williams, she’s dealt with Magdalena Rybarikova, she’s dealt with adversity against Polona Hercog - and now, at the grand old age of 15, she meets Simona Halep for a place in the last eight of Wimbledon.
It promises to be fascinating. But it will also be by far the biggest test Gauff has faced so far. Halep, tough, experienced, very good, is a former No 1 and won the French Open last year. She starts as the favourite. The logical favourite, that is. Not the crowd’s favourite. Not the world’s favourite. No. We are all loco for Coco at the moment.
Play starts on Court 1 soon.
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