Angelique Kerber defeated Coco Gauff to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The German won in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 against the 20th-seeded American, who was looking to make her debut in the Championships’ last eight.
Both players started the match on a nervy footing. The first five games of the opening set were service breaks. The run of breaks-of-serve was finally halted in the sixth game as Kerber consolidated for the first time. While Gauff stayed close to Kerber for the rest of the set, Kerber’s level never dipped allowing her to go up in the match after serving out the set in the 10th game.
Gauff’s game continued to leak errors in the second set and Kerber was able to take advantage and go up an early break. Unlike in the first, there were no exchanges of serve in the second set and while Kerber did face three break points, she saved them all to keep herself ahead of Gauff in the set before eventually serving out the win in the 10th game.
The German hit 20 winners to Gauff’s 22 but had fewer unforced errors as compared to the American – 20 to the latter’s 27.
Wimbledon: Ajla Tomljanovic moves on
In the quarter-final, Kerber will play Karolina Muchova.
The 19th-seeded Czech ousted 30th-seeded Spaniard Paula Badosa 7-6(6), 6-4 in their pre-quarter-final clash. Swiss Viktorija Golubic will make a first-time appearance in the quarter-final of a Major after seeing through 23rd seed Madison Keys in the fourth round.
The 28-year-old upset the higher-ranked American 7-6(3), 6-3 in an hour and 39 minutes. Golubic had just nine unforced errors to Keys’ 32. At the same time, she hit 28 winners to her opponent’s 27. For a place in the semi-finals, she’ll play Karolina Pliskova.
The last quarter-final berth at Wimbledon was also filled by a debutant. Ajla Tomljanovic advanced to the last eight after her opponent Emma Raducanu withdrew from their fourth-round match with illness. At the time of the Briton’s mid-match retirement, Tomljanovic was leading 6-4, 3-0 in the match. The Australian will take on fellow countrywoman and top seed Ashleigh Barty for a place in the semis.