Coco Gauff progressed to the fourth round at Wimbledon on Thursday evening, securing a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 triumph over compatriot Claire Liu on Court One.
The victory means the seventh seed has equalled her finest showing at the All England Club, having previously reached the last 16 in 2019, 2021 and 2024.
The 22-year-old required two hours and 26 minutes to overcome the world number 146, who entered the tournament as a qualifier.
Gauff’s win-loss record at SW19 now stands at 14-6, whilst her overall Grand Slam tally has improved to 83 victories against 25 defeats.
Coco Gauff has matched her personal best at Wimbledon
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REUTERS
Gauff appeared to be cruising towards a straightforward victory when she held three match points whilst serving at 5-4 in the second set.
However, Liu demonstrated remarkable resilience to save all three opportunities, eventually forcing a tiebreak as dusk descended upon Court One.
The American’s passive approach during the breaker proved costly, with Liu seizing control before Gauff surrendered the set with a double fault.
Rather than allowing the setback to unsettle her, the two-time major champion regrouped swiftly in the decider, breaking Liu’s serve in the opening game with a penetrating backhand that drew an error.
Coco Gauff managed 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 triumph over compatriot Claire Liu on Court One
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REUTERS
Reflecting on her performance afterwards, Gauff acknowledged she had not produced her finest tennis.
“I’m just happy to get through,” she said.
“I had some opportunities to close it out in the second set but I’m glad I didn’t let that derail me and I was able to come out with a win today.”
The former US Open and French Open champion noted that her opponent had raised her level during the contest.
“I definitely had opportunities with some of those match points, but it is only experiences that you can learn from,” she added.
Despite her self-critical assessment, Gauff expressed growing belief in her game, particularly highlighting improvements in her serve across recent matches.
Gauff will now turn her attention to Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, who overcame Russian 19th seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(10-6) in the first encounter between seeded players in this year’s women’s draw.
The American is chasing a third Grand Slam title following her triumphs at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and Roland Garros last year, with Wimbledon representing the next step towards completing her career Grand Slam.
“The opponents I’ve played have been high-level players and good grass-court players. Belinda will be the same,” Gauff said. “It’ll be a tough one.”
