WIMBLEDON, England — Coco Gauff isn’t the only teenager making a splash at Wimbledon this time. Emma Raducanu is suddenly stealing some of the spotlight.
The 18-year-old Raducanu and the 17-year-old Gauff both advanced to the fourth round of the grass-court Grand Slam within minutes of each other Saturday.
For Gauff, it’s the second time she’s reached the second week at Wimbledon after her breakthrough performance in 2019, and she has already become a Centre Court regular. For Raducanu, who is playing in her first Grand Slam tournament, it’s an unexpected run that has given the British crowd an instant new favorite.
Raducanu became the youngest British woman in the Open era to reach the fourth round at the All England Club by beating veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 7-5.
Raducanu was given a wild-card entry into the tournament but looked right at home playing on No. 1 Court, winning eight straight games to take a 3-0 lead in the second set. But she struggled to put away Cirstea, failing to convert three straight break points in the next game. She was then broken and missed another five break points at 4-3 in a marathon game that lasted nearly 15 minutes.
And she needed three match points in the final game before Cirstea netted a forehand.
Gauff had an easier time completing a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kaja Juvan on Centre Court. Gauff finished with 21 winners and broke her opponent five times.
She will next play former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, who beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 2-6, 6-0, 6-1.
Kerber trailed 5-1 in the first set when a rain delay interrupted play for about 90 minutes and then dominated her opponent when play resumed. The German is the only former women’s champion left in the draw. Sasnovich advanced from the first round when Serena Williams had to retire with an injury in the first set.
In men’s play, No. 7-seeded Matteo Berrettini advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Aljaz Bedene. Roger Federer was playing Cameron Norrie of Britain on Centre Court.
Deborah Jevans was the previous youngest British woman to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon at age 19 in 1979.
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