Coco Gauff defeated Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match that was decided against the clock. At the All England Club, the 11pm curfew forced the match to be suspended if it did not finish on time.
With two minutes left in the deadline, Gauff served a winner on her first match point. Then he touched his right wrist, simulating a watch, to recognize the timing of the ending.
“I was looking at the clock in the last serve game. I thought, ‘I’ve got to hit some big serves and some big shots.’ That was probably the most dramatic finish. I’ve never had to race against time,” Gauff said.
The 20-year-old compared the play to Kawhi Leonard’s shot in 2019, which defined a seventh NBA game.
“I’m glad I didn’t choose basketball,” he added with a laugh.
Gauff had reached the fourth round in four previous editions of Wimbledon, including her emergence as a teenager in 2019. Now, for the first time, she will play the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam on grass.
“I definitely want more. But it’s a great achievement,” he said.
Her next rival will be Jessica Pegula, also an American and occasional doubles partner. Pegula beat Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Gauff anticipated a demanding duel: “It will be the third flat hitter I have faced in a row. The last two games gave me preparation for it.”
