By Alan Baldwin
LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time after beating friend and former doubles partner Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-3 6-3 in an all-American Centre Court clash on Tuesday.
The seventh seed and two-time Grand Slam winner will continue her adventure as the highest ranked player left in the women's singles draw but she was on the back foot initially against a fourth-seeded opponent.
In truth, Gauff was fighting herself
almost as much as the American number one. Playing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time, she made 17 unforced errors and served four double faults in the opening set.
The 22-year-old got things back under control in the second set, although she still faced two break points in the opening game, and halved the number of unforced errors.
The 2023 U.S. and 2025 French Open winner led for the first time when she broke Pegula in the final set but her older opponent was not beaten yet and broke back to 3-3.
GAUFF GOING THE DISTANCE IN HER MATCHES
Gauff, who will face either Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals, replied with another immediate break, then held serve and Pegula fell at the first match point with a return to the net.
"Pretty insane, honestly," was Gauff's immediate reaction to the win. "Considering how I hadn't won a match on grass in two years before this tournament, I'm definitely just really happy with how I played today."
"Jess is an incredible opponent and person and playing against her is never easy. I'm just happy to get through this one today."
Gauff, who has now been taken to three sets in her last four matches and has yet to win a grass tournament, said getting more first serves in was a turning point as well as being calmer in the rallies.
"In the first set I think I made a little bit too many errors rushing out the rallies a little bit too quickly," she said. "I just felt the last two sets were really great tennis."
"I've been going three sets almost every match so I feel like when you have that faith in yourself as a competitor, when the match goes the distance and you lose one set, you're not panicking."
The match was the first between two female American top 10 seeds at Wimbledon since the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, met in the final in 2009.
"After seven years playing this tournament it's finally the first time I can walk on Centre Court and I didn't feel nervous," said Gauff. "I don't know if I'm becoming a vet ..."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Alison Williams)
