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Coco Gauff is through to the second round of Wimbledon 2022 after she came through a tough opener against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Tuesday. The 18-year-old American, seeded 11th, came from a set down to beat the Romanian 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and 29 minutes.
The win saw the French Open runner-up register her 25th Grand Slam main draw victory, making her the fifth female player since 2000 to win 25 Grand Slam main draw matches before turning 19. Other players in the club include the likes of Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Nicole Vaidisova.
After Ruse made a quick start to the match to take the first set, Gauff responded by winning the second. The decider was a more-tightly contested affair, with both players evenly matched until 5-5, when Ruse double-faulted to give the teenager her sixth break point of the game. Gauff won the next game to avoid a tiebreak and seal the win.
Speaking after the match, Gauff congratulated Ruse for her efforts and said that she was happy to come out with the win.
“I think today both of us gave our heart on the court and the crowd was great for both sides. I think it was an electrifying match and I'm happy that I was able to come out with it today. I want to commend her on her tennis and on her fight, it was a good match,” Coco Gauff said.
Elaborating on the victory, Gauff said a mid-match change in mindset along with her experience from her French Open exploits turned the contest in her favor.
“It definitely helped me a lot, the French Open taught me a lot. The first rounds are always tough for me because I feel like it's more nerve-wracking than any match. In the middle of the first set, I was kind of freaking out a little bit and then thought the worst thing that could happen is that I lose, which is not the end of the world. So that's why I think I started to play a little bit better,” Gauff explained.
Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu, who defeated German qualifier Nastasia Schunk 6-4, 6-2 in her opening round match, awaits Gauff next.
Coco Gauff credits Venus and Serena Williams for her professional career
Coco Gauff is the youngest player ranked in the WTA top 100, with a career-high ranking of No. 12 in singles and five in doubles. Her 2019 Linz Open triumph as a 15-year-old made her the youngest singles title-holder on the tour since 2004. Her exploits since coming into prominence in 2019 with a win over Venus Williams at Wimbledon have been well documented.
The American has credited Venus and her sister Serena Williams for inspiring her to pick up the sport. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, the American revealed that her activist side is also a by-product of being inspired by the Williams sisters.
"Venus and Serena Williams inspired me a lot when growing up, they're the reason I decided to start playing tennis. I think that the fact that they were also vocal about different issues going on in the world also inspires me to be vocal about it and I still look up to them and I will always look up to them," Coco Gauff said. "I think we should all just appreciate the impact they have on the world."
