US tennis star Coco Gauff had two near misses during her second-round Wimbledon clash on Wednesday – narrowly escaping both.
The 22-year-old secured her spot in the third round of the Grand Slam with a three-set win over Argentina’s Solana Sierra.
However, the victory wasn’t without incident as the American struggled with her service game once again – almost at a perilous cost.
Having already won the first set, Gauff almost hit a ball-kid with a bullet of a serve during the second game of the second set.
The two-time Grand Slam winner fired a 96mph serve directly into the stairs of the umpire’s chair.
It ricocheted off the stand directly above the head of one of the ball-kids, who both flinched at the shot.
US tennis star Coco Gauff almost hit a ball-kid with a 96mph serve at Wimbledon
The 22-year-old secured her spot in the third round of the Grand Slam with a three-set win
Gauff immediately held up her hand in apology as the ball-kid nodded reassuringly to indicate that he was unharmed.
The ESPN broadcast even picked up the reaction of former US tennis player and Gauff’s close friend Chris Eubanks, who dramatically flinched.
The tennis star then turned away from the baseline and composed herself for a second serve.
However, she went on to lose the game to love, allowing her opponent Sierra to break her serve.
Gauff ultimately lost the second set 3-6 and was staring down the barrel of an early exit from SW19 in the third.
She came from a break down in the third set and then won the last six points of the tiebreaker to beat Sierra 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7) to reach the third round.
Gauff was two points away from losing the match when Sierra served at 5-4 in the third set but won three straight points to break back.
In the 10-point tiebreaker, she trailed 7-4 but didn’t lose another point, sealing the win with an ace and then screaming out loud with both fists clenched.
The ball boy nodded reassuringly to indicate that he was unharmed as Gauff apologized
The American faced an early exit from SW19 before clawing it back with a third-set tie break
The two-time Grand Slam winner beat Solana Sierra (pictured) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7)
‘When she had to serve for the match I just reminded myself that I’m a great returner as well,’ Gauff said. ‘I was just trying to be positive and I think that showed.’
Gauff had her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2019 when she reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old, beating Venus Williams in the first round.
But while she has won both the US Open and the French Open since then, she has yet to make the quarterfinals at the All England Club despite two more trips to the fourth round.
As it happens, that win over Williams also came on July 1 on No. 1 Court.
‘It was kind of my breakout moment, and playing against one of my idols was insane,’ Gauff said. ‘Every time I walk down this hallway I get deja vu and I just remind myself, like, if I could do that (seven) years ago, I’m definitely a better player since then. So I definitely can do it now.’
Sierra was hoping to make another splash at Wimbledon, too. Last year, she became the first so-called lucky loser in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the women’s tournament at the All England Club.
