(July 3, 2021) Two teenagers led the way to round of 16 at Wimbledon on Saturday. American teen Coco Gauff reached her second fourth round on the hallowed grass courts by defeating Kaja Juvan of Slovenia, ranked 102 in the world 6-3, 6-3. Another teen made the Sweet 16 at the All-England club in Britain’s Emma Raducanu. The 18-year-old wildcard had the crowd at Court 1 on her side for he 6-3, 7-5 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania. In just her first pro-level tournament, Raducanu, ranked 338th in the world, became the youngest British player to reach Wimbledon’s fourth round in more than 50 years.
“I was so overwhelmed. The last point, I kind of just dropped my racquet and fell to the floor. It was just also instinctive and in the moment. I had no idea what just happened. Right now I’m on such a buzz and such a high.”
“When I heard the crowd just roar for the first time, I was like, ‘Wow, they’re so behind me.’ I was just feeding off of their energy.”
“I’m just so excited I get to play in front of them again.”
Gauff the 20th seed will face a big challenge in the fourth round where she’ll play 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber for spot in the quarterfinals.
“In my next match, it will be important to have a high first-serve percentage,” said Gauff during her news conference. “Angie is a great player, great returner, does well on grass. Does well on all surfaces, but especially grass.”
In a third-round match that produced different types of on-court and off-court drama, Ajla Tomljanovic beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Tomljanovic told the chair umpire that Ostapenko was lying about her injury when she took a medical time out in the third set for an ab injury.
“She can say she was injured,” Tomljanovic said. “I don’t think she was.”
Here is what ensued during the end-of-the-match handshake:
In men’s play, No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev rallied from two sets down to beat 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic before coming through 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
No. 16 seed Auger-Aliassime moved to the Sweet 16 when when Nick Kyrgios retired after splitting sets with abdominal injury. This puts his mixed-doubles play in jeopardy as he is paired with Venus Williams.
“I would have been fine to lose today and not be injured,” Kyrgios said to media. “But it’s more heartbreaking like this.”
No. 6 seed and 8-time champion Roger Federer reached his record 18th Wimbledon fourth-round and 69th overall at the majors with a 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Cam Norrie of Great Britain.
Federer, who turns 40 next month faces No. 23 seed Lorenzo Sonego of Italy in the next round.
It’s the 69th time that Federer has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, also a record.
