Coco Gauff likes No. 1 Court at Wimbledon. (More Tennis News)
๐It's where she beat Venus Williams back in 2019 when Gauff made her Wimbledon debut at age 15.
๐งธOn Wednesday, Gauff beat qualifier Anca Todoni 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the third round at the All England Club.
๐งธโThis is the court where I first started here at Wimbledon. Court 1 is always a special place for me to play on,โ the 20-year-old Gauff said in her on-court interview.
๐ฆThe victory also allows Gauff, the No. 2 seed, to move another step away from last year's first-round exit.
๐ทโOverall, I just learned about life a lot,โ the U.S. Open champion said when asked about putting that three-set loss to Sofia Kenin behind her.
๊ฆฏโI just realized that, yes, what I do I'm very passionate about, but it's not ever that serious and sometimes the world can make you feel like there's so much pressure, there's so much expectation,โ she said. โAt the end of the (day), it's a game. It's sport.โ
๊ฆThe 19-year-old Todoni is from Romania and was making her Grand Slam debut.
โโI do think I could have played cleaner at some moments," Gauff said.
โFive years ago, Gauff beat Williams โ a five-time Wimbledon champion โ 6-4, 6-4 in the first round and eventually reached the last 16, all on her Grand Slam debut.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz ๐ฌtrailed 6-5 in the first set before coming back to beat Alexsander Vukic 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2, setting up a third-round meeting with No. 29 Frances Tiafoe after the American eliminated Borna Coric 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-3.
๐When told by the on-court interviewer that Tiafoe said he's โcoming after you,โ the 21-year-old Spaniard replied with a smile: โI'm going for him.โ
๏ทฝโWe played a really good match in the U.S. Open,โ the No. 3 seed said of their 2022 semifinal that Alcaraz won at Flushing Meadows.
๐ฐIn other results, No. 11 Danielle Collins completed her first-round match โ a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Clara Tauson. It had been suspended Tuesday night at 4-4 in the second set.
๊ง No. 20 Beatriz Haddad Maia advanced to the third round by beating Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3.
๐On the men's side, No. 16 Ugo Humbert eliminated Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (9), 6-1, 6-3.
