Gauff Youngest
Wimbledon Qualifier in Open Era
Craig Ellenport | June 27, 2019
After a dominant run through the 2019 Wimbledon qualifying tournament, 15-year-old American Coco Gauff became the youngest Wimbledon qualifier in the Open era. Gauff, who didn’t lose a set in her three victories this week, is one of five U.S. players to earn a spot in the main draw at Wimbledon, which begins on July 1 at the All England Club.
Two days after upsetting top-seeded Aliona Bolsova, Gauff earned her spot in the main draw with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Belgium’s Greet Minnen at London’s Bank of England Sports Centre.
“I just felt pretty good,” Gauff told The Wimbledon Channel. “I’m still in shock that I’m going to be playing the main draw. … I think I just was in the zone today.”
Gauff isn’t the only American who will be making her main-draw debut at a Grand Slam. Caty McNally, who paired with Gauff to win the 2018 US Open girls’ doubles title, earned that distinction, as well. ADVERTISEMENT The 17-year-old McNally defeated Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova, 6-4, 6-3.
In the only third-round matchup that pitted American vs. American, Kristie Ahn defeated No. 3 seed Lauren Davis, 6-4, 7-5. Ahn, who played in the 2008 US Open, as a qualifier, and the 2018 Australian Open in her only two Grand Slam main-draw matches to date, will be making her Wimbledon main-draw debut.
Aside from Davis, other American women who did not advance Thursday were Christina McHale and Danielle Lao.
Two U.S. men will be making their first appearance in the Wimbledon main draw.
Long Island’s Noah Rubin, who was the 2014 Wimbledon boys' champion, defeated Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, 7-2, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Marcos Giron of Thousand Oaks, Calif., also needed four sets to defeat Croatia’s Viktor Galovic, 7-5, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Three U.S. men did not advance: Bjorn Fratangelo, Tommy Paul and Donald Young.
Video from The Wimbledon YouTube Channel:
