LONDON — Coco Gauff displayed remarkable composure.
After trailing a set due to some untimely double faults, Gauff made an impressive comeback by defeating Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday, securing her first appearance in the Wimbledon semifinals.
The two-time major titleholder celebrated by raising her arms in triumph as Pegula’s feeble backhand found the net on match point during the all-American quarterfinal at Centre Court.
“Having gone three sets in nearly every match, I’ve built a strong belief in myself as a competitor. Losing a set doesn’t send me into a panic,” Gauff stated during her post-match interview.
With this victory, the 22-year-old Gauff became the youngest player to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova accomplished the feat at the 2007 French Open.
Gauff’s next challenge will come against either Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova for a shot at the final on Saturday.
In her previous six appearances at the All England Club, Gauff had never advanced past the fourth round, but it seems her experience on the grass may finally be paying off.
“After seven years at this tournament, I finally walked onto Centre Court without feeling nervous,” she reflected. “Maybe I’m becoming a seasoned player.”
However, the “veteran” started off the match poorly with early double faults, quickly finding herself in a disadvantageous position. Although she led 40-0 initially, she lost five consecutive points — two due to double faults — falling behind 1-0. After breaking Pegula in the sixth game, Gauff was swiftly broken back with another love game filled with double faults.
Gauff deemed the final two sets as “exceptional tennis.”
“Jess’ shots are so flat and low, so I knew I had to adapt… engaging in those rallies and playing the way I wanted helped,” Gauff explained, noting that she clocked a serve at 126 mph in the second set’s third game. “That certainly made a difference, along with trusting my own shots.”
Meanwhile, on No. 1 Court, defending champion Jannik Sinner maintained his title defense by defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals.
The top-ranked Sinner has pushed past his earlier French Open struggles, where he took five sets to get by 50th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. Since then, he has cruised through with straight-set victories, avoiding lengthy matches.
Sinner’s next opponent will either be seven-time Wimbledon singles champion Novak Djokovic or third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, with the men’s final set for Sunday.
Under clear skies, the early afternoon matches commenced with temperatures at 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), expected to rise to 31 C (88 F).
Having suffered an early exit at the French Open during a heatwave, Sinner kept cool with an ice towel draped around his neck during changeovers.
At the start of her match, Gauff inquired with the chair umpire, “Do you happen to have an ice pack?” She was seen applying a blue ice pack to her cheeks and thighs for added relief.
