Gauff beats clock and Bencic, finishes Wimbledon fourth-round match just before curfew
Coco Gauff defeated Belinda Bencic in the Wimbledon round of 16, finishing the match at 10:58 PM local time, just before the tournament's 11 PM curfew rule would have forced a postponement.
In a late-night thriller at Wimbledon, seventh seed Coco Gauff edged past 11th seed Belinda Bencic with a 4:6, 6:3, 6:4 victory in the fourth round. The match concluded at 10:58 PM local time, urgently close to the tournament's 11 PM curfew, which would have required the match to be suspended and resumed the following day.
Gauff admitted after the match that she had never before faced a time pressure in tennis. "I've never fought against the clock while playing tennis. This time I felt the pressure," she said. The American showed composure to come back after losing the first set, winning the next two to secure the win.
Bencic started strong by taking the opening set, but Gauff adjusted her game and broke the Swiss player's serve at crucial moments. With this victory, Gauff advances to the quarterfinals, keeping her Wimbledon title hopes alive.
