Coco Gauff, the second seed at Wimbledon, continued her impressive run at the tournament, defeating British qualifier Sonay Kartal in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, on Friday. Gauff faced a formidable opponent in Kartal, who began the week ranked 298th in the world, and pushed the American hard in the first set. However, once Gauff secured the opening set, the outcome of the match was never in doubt.
Speaking after the match on Court One, Gauff acknowledged Kartal’s strong performance, saying, “I thought I played really well, and she was playing a high level, especially in the first set. She wasn’t giving me much to work with and not letting me settle. I felt like I was going for the right shots but was just missing, but eventually I found it.”
Gauff’s previous Wimbledon appearances have seen her reach the fourth round as a qualifier in 2019 and again in 2021. However, she has yet to advance to the quarter-finals. Her next opponent will be fellow American Emma Navarro, who secured her spot in the fourth round with a victory over Diana Shnaider earlier on Friday. The all-American clash promises to be an exciting encounter as both players aim to continue their Wimbledon journey.