How Far Can Cori “Coco” Gauff Go at Wimbledon? 15-Year-Old Favored to Beat Hercog in Round 3
- American teenager Cori “Coco” Gauff is through to the third round of the women’s singles event at Wimbledon
- At 15 years and 122 days, she’s the youngest Wimbledon qualifier in the open era
- Gauff beat five-time Wimbledon champ Venus Williams in Round 1
Off the court, Cori “Coco” Gauff is everything you’d expect from a 15-year-old girl. She laughs frequently. She latches onto catch phrases. Mostly, she’s just enjoying herself.
Put a tennis racquet in her hand and send her out to the grass courts of the All-England Lawn Tennis Club, though, and she’s all business.
At 15 years and 122 days, Gauff became the youngest Wimbledon qualifier of the open era. But just because she’s a happy-go-lucky kid, you shouldn’t doubt her competitive fire. Gauff, who wasn’t even on the radar of the 2019 Wimbledon odds prior to the tournament, made it abundantly clear that she isn’t just happy to be here.
Gauff is through to the third round. She’s already claimed five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams as a victim. And the sportsbooks don’t expect her magical run to be halted by third-round opponent Polona Hercog. Gauff is solidly favored to win the match at all of the major sportsbooks.
Cori “Coco” Gauff vs Polono Hercog Wimbledon Odds
| Gauff vs Hercog | Moneyline | Spread | Total Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cori “Coco” Gauff | -163 | -3 (-110) | O 21.5 (-111) |
| Polona Hercog | +143 | +3 (+110) | U 21.5 (-109) |
*All odds taken 07/03/19
Super Cool Gauff
Gauff insists that she’s “super blessed” to even be at Wimbledon, getting into the qualifiers via a wildcard entry. When she defeated Williams, who just two years ago was in the women’s final, Gauff described her emotions as “super happy”. She added that the five-time champ was “super cool” to her.
On court, Gauff is proving to be super sensational. She’s yet to drop a set in dispatching Williams 6-4, 6-4 and sending home Magdaléna Rybáriková 6-3, 6-3 from the second round.
Her in-match focus displays a maturity beyond her years. She’s beyond stoic, displaying little emotion while she plays. She just doesn’t ever seem to get rattled.
How Far Can She Go?
Hercog rates 60th in the WTA singles rankings. She’s never been beyond the third round at Wimbledon in 10 tries. Gauff’s chances of advancing are strong.
At 5-foot-10, hers is the physique that wins at Wimbledon. She serves powerfully, clocked at 115 mph. Gauff utilizes her long arms and gets to balls other players wouldn’t. She’s also thinking the game like a veteran, and instinctively knows when to use a power move and when to finesse a shot.
The fourth round will offer a huge test. No matter who wins between Simona Halep (2018 French Open winner) and Victoria Azarenka (2012-13 Australian Open champion), she’ll be facing a former world #1 and Grand Slam champion. This will probably be where her dream run ends.
Regardless of the outcome, this American teen has announced her presence as a presence in women’s tennis.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
