Coco Gauff narrowly avoided a dangerous incident during her second-round Wimbledon match on Wednesday, where a powerful serve nearly struck a ball kid before she ultimately secured a hard-fought victory over Argentina's Solana Sierra to advance to the third round. The 22-year-old American won the match in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7).
The near miss occurred in the second game of the second set. After winning the first set, Gauff's 96 mph serve struck the stairs of the umpire's chair, ricocheting directly towards a ball kid. The ball kid flinched, but Gauff immediately apologized and the ball kid indicated they were unharmed. Despite the scare, Gauff went on to lose the game, which allowed Sierra to break her serve and eventually take the second set.
Gauff faced a significant challenge in the deciding third set, coming from a break down and trailing in the tiebreaker. She was two points away from losing the match when Sierra served at 5-4 in the third set. However, Gauff won three consecutive points to break back and then rallied from a 7-4 deficit in the 10-point tiebreaker, winning the last six points to clinch the match with an ace.
"When she had to serve for the match I just reminded myself that I'm a great returner as well," Gauff said after the match. "I was just trying to be positive and I think that showed."
Gauff's history at Wimbledon includes a breakout fourth-round appearance as a 15-year-old in 2019, where she defeated Venus Williams on July 1. While she has since won Grand Slam titles at the US Open and the French Open, she has yet to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club. Gauff acknowledged the deja vu of playing on July 1 and expressed confidence in her current abilities, stating she is a much-improved player since her 2019 run.
Sierra, meanwhile, was looking to replicate her success from the previous year when she became the first 'lucky loser' in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the women's tournament at Wimbledon. She had previously made a notable splash at the event.
Gauff's struggles with her service game were evident, as she lost the game immediately following the incident with the ball kid. This match marks her progression to the third round of the Grand Slam, where she will face further competition as she aims to advance deeper into the tournament.
