Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 2 July 2019
Gauff, just 15, shocks 5-time champ Venus, 39, at Wimbledon

By HOWARD FENDRICH if it was false confidence games I can get against
AP Tennis Writer or she really was. I just said her,' then I most definitely
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) to her: This match is really would not have won. My
— Coco Gauff grew up ad- magical. Just enjoy it. Your goal was to play my best.
miring the Williams sisters. first Wimbledon main draw My dream was to win. That's
Picked up a tennis racket and you're on a main court what happened."
as a little girl because of against somebody you How far does she think she
them. And on Monday looked up to from the be- can fare this fortnight?
at Wimbledon, still just 15, ginning." "My goal," she said, her
Gauff beat one of them. It was by far the most an- face expressionless, "is to
Gauff, the youngest com- ticipated match of Day 1 win it."
petitor to qualify at the All at the grass-court tourna- Well, then ...
England Club in the pro- ment, but hardly the only Gauff came into the week
fessional era, showed the upset. Two-time major outside the top 300 but
poise and power of a much champion Naomi Osaka, was granted a wild card
older, much more experi- who was No. 1 until a week by the All England Club to
enced player, pulling off ago, lost 7-6 (4), 6-2 to Yu- enter qualifying. She rolled
a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the first lia Putinseva, joining two through those rounds at a
round over Venus Williams, young members of the nearby site, knocking off
who at 39 was the oldest men's top-10, No. 6 seed Al- the event's top seed.
woman in the field. exander Zverev and No. 7 But this was a whole other
When it ended, Gauff seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, on task. Gauff was sensational
dropped her racket and the way out. and showed zero signs that
put her hands on her head. This one, though, was spe- the moment or the match-
After a handshake and ex- cial, potentially the sort of up was too daunting for
change of words at the net changing-of-the-guard her. It's the sort of unusual
with Williams, Gauff knelt by Japan's Naomi Osaka reacts as she plays Kazakstan's Yulia Pu- moment that people could calm and steady way she
her sideline chair and tears tintseva in a Women's singles match during day one of the Wim- remember for years. has progressed through
welled in her eyes. Up in the bledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2019. Gauff certainly has the the various levels of youth
stands, her father leaped Associated Press mindset of someone who tennis, including reaching
out of his seat. intends to go far. the U.S. Open junior final at
"Honestly, I don't really more than 1,000. This was "It didn't really seem real, for "I've said this before: I want 13 and winning the French
know how to feel. This is the Gauff's first match at Wim- a moment," said Gauff's fa- to be the greatest. My dad Open junior title at 14.
first time I ever cried after bledon, where Williams has ther, Corey, between hand- told me that I could do this The first set was remark-
a match. Or winning, obvi- played more than 100 and shakes and slaps on the when I was 8. Obviously you able: Gauff had 10 winners
ously; I've cried after a loss won five titles. By the time back and requests for self- never believe it. I'm still, like, to only two unforced errors,
before," said Gauff, who Gauff was born in 2004, Wil- ies from spectators leaving not 100 percent confident. all the while trading pow-
is based in Florida. "I don't liams already had spent No. 1 Court. "On the walk to But, like, you have to just erful groundstrokes at the
even know how to explain time at No. 1 in the rank- the court, I was walking be- say things. You never know baseline with Williams, and
how I feel." ings and owned four of her hind her. She was excited. what happens," she said. "If never facing a break point.
This was her third tour-level seven Grand Slam singles I was excited. She seemed I went into this match say- "The sky's the limit," Williams
match; Williams has played trophies. confident, but I wasn't sure ing, 'Let's see how many said. "It really is."q

Wimbledon makes change in using Miss or Mrs. on court

By CHRIS LEHOURITES pire would use the titles at Tuesday, the chair umpire
AP Sports Writer the end of each game dur- will say, "Game, Williams."
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ing women's matches, and Novak Djokovic, a four-
— Wimbledon has tinkered at the end of the match. time Wimbledon winner
with its traditional naming But not for men's matches. and the defending cham-
titles for this year's tourna- So when Watson won a pion, said he hadn't no-
ment. game in the past, the chair ticed that the club made
Spectators at the All Eng- umpire would announce, the change for this year's
land Club and those "Game, Miss Watson." But tournament.
watching at home will still for a men's match, the an- "I don't know, to be hon-
hear the chair umpire refer nouncement would just est, how I feel about it,"
to female players as Miss, be, "Game, Federer," in the said Djokovic, who beat
Mrs. or Ms., but only at cer- case of eight-time Wimble- Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3,
tain times — in the same don champion Roger Fe- 7-5, 6-3. "I thought that tra-
instances that they will use derer. dition was very unique and
Mr. for the male players. Britain's Heather Watson celebrates after beating United States' The topic of using the titles very special. I thought it
The titles will still be used Caty McNally to win their Women's singles match during day came up last year, the was nice." But after being
one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Mon-
for both women and men day, July 1, 2019. first year Serena Williams told that the reason for the
when it comes to code Associated Press played at the All England change could be in the in-
violations, medical an- Club as a married woman. terest of gender equality,
nouncements and player 10th appearance at Wim- day in the first round. But Instead of, "Game, Miss Djokovic was on board.
challenges, according to bledon, didn't even notice she was all for it. Williams," it was, "Game, "I mean, sure, if that is the
the All England Club. the change while beating "Equality is always good," Mrs. Williams." This year, as- reason, then why not?" the
Heather Watson, a British Caty McNally of the United Watson said. suming she wins a game top-seeded Serb said. "I
player who is making her States 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Mon- In the past, the chair um- in her first-round match on support that."q