This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Cori Gauff, the 15-year-old from Florida, continued her magical run at Wimbledon on Friday, coming from behind to defeat Polona Hercog 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 in a thrilling match that lasted 2 hours and 46 minutes.
Trailing 2-5 in the second set, Gauff saved two match points, including one with a clever backhand slice that angled off the line, to force a tiebreaker. She then won the set in a tense 32-shot rally.
After losing a service break lead in the third set, Gauff held on for the win, forcing Hercog to throw up a high-arcing lob that fell just long.
With the crowd cheering her on, Gauff repeatedly jumped for joy as Centre Court shook with applause.
"I always knew that I could come back no matter what the score was," Gauff told the BBC immediately after the match. "I'm happy that slice down the line went in. The crowd was amazing. Even when I was down match point, they were still cheering me on. I'm super thankful they believed in me."
"I always knew that I could come back no matter what the score was," Gauff told the BBC immediately after the match. "I'm happy that slice down the line went in. The crowd was amazing. Even when I was down match point, they were still cheering me on. I'm super thankful they believed in me." — Cori Gauff, after her match against Polona Hercog
Gauff's win marked her third consecutive match with a comeback, and she has become a sensation at the tournament. She was given a last-minute wild card into the qualifying tournament and has marched through without losing a set.
Her next match, on Monday, will be her toughest test yet, as she faces seventh-seeded Simona Halep, a former world No. 1 and a French Open champion.
