July 03, (THEWILL) – American tennis sensation, Coco Gauff, suffered a surprising first-round exit at Wimbledon, losing to qualifier, Sofia Kenin, in a thrilling three-set match.
After dropping the first set 6-4, Gauff showed her tenacity by swiftly bouncing back to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the second set. The young seventh seed fought hard to level the tie and force a decider.
However, it was 2020 Australian Open champion, Kenin, who seized the advantage early in the final set, breaking Gauff’s serve in the opening game. Kenin managed to maintain her composure, saving three break points and breaking her compatriot once more to secure a 6-4 4-6 6-1 victory and progress to the second round. Despite facing pressure as victory came into sight, Kenin held her nerve and successfully clinched the match.
Her triumph comes after experiencing three first-round exits at major tournaments forcing her out of the top 100. Her current world ranking stands at number 128. The defeat of Gauff, who shot to fame with a stunning victory over Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, marked her earliest exit from the prestigious tournament.
With this unexpected result, Kenin will now face Xinyu Wang in the second round, following the Chinese player’s straight-sets victory over Australia’s Storm Hunter.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
