Former world No.1 Simona Halep was too big a bite for 15-year-old qualifier Cori Gauff, ending the 15-year-old’s fairytale Wimbledon run in the fourth round 6-3 6-3.
Playing on No.1 Court that propelled her into tennis stardom, the world No.313 Gauff never endangered Halep, even though she stayed competitive when facing deficits and saved two match points to prolong the encounter by one game.
The match opened by an exchange of breaks, initiated by Halep, and even though the Romanian made three double faults in the fourth game, she did hold serve for 2-2, and that was about the last time that Halep was endangered in the 42-minute first set, if we exclude a couple of good winners by Gauff on break points in the fifth game, which the teenager eventually surrendered.
The second set also featured a break on each side early on, but Halep quickly recorded a crucial one to go 4-2 up and even though Gauff saved two break/match points at 2-5, one with a nice half-volley, the other one when Halep’s shot landed just a millimeter out, the much more experienced player won the match in her service game, on the third match point.
It was expected that Halep would be too big an obstacle for Gauff, but even when the youngster trailed 2-5 in the second set, there was some hope that her Cinderella story would continue, as in her third-round match against Polona Hercog she completely recovered from the same deficit.
The kid should have been eliminated unceremoniously in her last match against the Hostel 1-2 cameo actress with the heavy ink and Goth look and her bodybuilder boyfriend and S & M trainer. The latter contestant should have put Goff away after the first set blow-out but she had a serious case of “no-guts” and a serious case of flawed execution and unforced errors. Goff won a couple of matches at the Big W, but she simply outlasted the Hostel actress, that’s all. That match was an embarrassment for both players. Glad that Halep had the technique and moxie going for her today to dispatch the kid. Nice story, but over-blown by the fluffer-groupie-political correct media. The kid is simply a kid, regardless of her skin color and tennis chops.
The “body builder boyfriend” with the wolf tats and the guns is one Željko Krajan, actually her coach and the coach of the Croatian Davis Cup team. (You should see him sitting next to Marin Cilic and his skinny arms!)