WIMBLEDON - Gauff overcomes Sierra, Sinner, Sabalenka also advance

LONDON (AP):

Coco Gauff came from a break down in the third set and then won the last six points of the tie-breaker to beat Solana Sierra 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7) on Wednesday to reach the third round at Wimbledon.

Gauff was two points away from losing the match when Sierra served at 5-4 in the third set but won three straight points to break back. In the 10-point tie-breaker, she trailed 7-4 but didn’t lose another point, sealing the win with an ace and then screaming out loud with both fists clenched.

“When she had to serve for the match, I just reminded myself that I’m a great returner as well,” Gauff said. “I was just trying to be positive and I think that showed.”

Gauff had her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2019 when she reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old, beating Venus Williams in the first round. But while she has won both the US Open and the French Open since then, she has yet to make the quarter-finals at the All England Club despite two more trips to the fourth round.

As it happens, that win over Williams also came on July 1 on No. 1 Court.

“It was kind of my breakout moment, and playing against one of my idols was insane,” Gauff said. “Every time I walk down this hallway I get déjà vu and I just remind myself, like, if I could do that (seven) years ago, I’m definitely a better player since then. So I definitely can do it now.”

Sierra was hoping to make another splash at Wimbledon, too. Last year, she became the first so-called lucky loser in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the women’s tournament at the All England Club.

Naomi Osaka made another splash by showing off a new look again before winning her second-round match earlier yesterday.

Osaka, whose fashion reveals have become an event of their own at Grand Slam tournaments, wore a less elaborate outfit for her walk-on than the Kill Bill-inspired kimono she sported for her opening-round match on Monday.

It still drew plenty of attention as she made the walk from the locker room to No. 2 Court, trailed by photographers and fans wanting to take their own photos.

This all-white outfit featured a wide belt and a long train that trailed behind her, which the four-time major winner took off as she began warming up for her match against qualifier Anastasia Gasanova.

She went on to quickly dispatch Gasanova 6-3, 6-2.

“I’m just trying to mix it up a little bit,” Osaka said about her outfit, adding she had been worried that a loss might have ruined her daughter Shai’s third birthday on Thursday.

“I just wanted to be here for longer, I didn’t want to make her get on a plane on her birthday,” Osaka said.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka soon followed her into the third round, beating McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6 (9) on No. 1 Court.

Sabalenka converted her third match point in the tie-breaker after saving two set points.

“She really tested me today and I’m super happy to have passed the test,” said Sabalenka, who will next play Jelena Ostapenko.

Men’s No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who came from a set down twice to win in five sets in the first round, had a more comfortable victory yesterday. Sinner beat Nuno Borges 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the first match on Centre Court.

It wasn’t entirely straightforward for the Italian, though, as he had to break back for 5-5 when Borges served for the second set, before winning in just over two and a half hours.

“Second set was very, very tough,” Sinner said.

Other winners included French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, No. 17 Frances Tiafoe and No. 21 Tommy Paul.