Coco Gauff roared back from a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time. The seventh seed emerged a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victor on Centre Court in a thrilling contest that opened play on the second Tuesday.
Pegula takes early control
The Americans produced a high-quality spectacle, with Pegula looking to exploit Gauff's well-documented weaknesses, particularly her forehand and second serve. That strategy paid off in the opening set, as Gauff blew a 40-0 lead to be broken in the very first game. The world No. 7 made error after error, while Pegula, who equalled her best-ever Wimbledon run by reaching the quarter-finals, stepped inside the baseline to attack returns and target the Gauff forehand. A final netted forehand gave Pegula the first set in 35 minutes.
Gauff fights back
But Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, demonstrated her resilience. She solidified her game, taking power off her serve and focusing on keeping her forehand in play. She showed more variety to go up 5-3 with a break to love, having staved off two dangerous break points early in the second set. With the Centre Court crowd behind her, Gauff surged into her groove as Pegula began to commit errors. A final passing shot earned Gauff the decisive break to go up 2-1 in the decider, prompting a roar from the youngster and the crowd.
Decisive break and victory
Pegula rallied to level at 3-3, but Gauff was not to be denied. She ripped her backhand from side to side to reassert her break advantage and closed out the match in style. The victory marks Gauff's first Wimbledon semi-final appearance.
She will face either Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova in the last four.
