Coco Gauff saved two match points to defeat Solana Sierra 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) in the second round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, drawing inspiration from her famous victory over Venus Williams seven years ago. The American, seeded seventh, recovered from 7-4 down in the deciding tie-break to advance.
Gauff's Grit on Display
Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023 and has been ranked as high as world No. 2, struggled with her serve and forehand at times. She trailed 5-3, 30-30 in the final set and faced two more points from defeat at 5-4, 30-30 before breaking back. In the tie-break, she rallied from 7-4 down to win 9-7.
“I’m happy and proud of myself,” Gauff said. She recalled her coach’s advice: “Remember who you are, that you are good at breaking serve.”
Venus Win Still Fresh
Gauff said the memory of her 2019 first-round win over Venus Williams remains vivid. “Every time I walk down this hallway, I get deja vu,” she said. “I remind myself if I could do that seven years ago, I’m definitely a better player now, so I definitely can do it now.”
Sabalenka Channels Nadal
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka also fought hard, beating McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(9). The American had four set points in the second set, but Sabalenka saved them, extending her Grand Slam tie-break winning streak to 21.
Sabalenka said she drew inspiration from a Netflix documentary about Rafael Nadal. “He said: ‘The only thing you can control is your focus and motivation.’ It really sticks deep inside of me,” she said. “On the tie-break, I’m willing to focus point by point. That’s been really working well.”
Other Results
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-6(6), 6-1, while 10th seed Karolina Muchova eased past Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2. Sabalenka will next face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
