United States' Cori 'Coco' Gauff celebrates after beating Slovenia's Polona Hercog in a Women's singles match during day five of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Photo / AP
United States' Cori 'Coco' Gauff celebrates after beating Slovenia's Polona Hercog in a Women's singles match during day five of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Photo / AP
Teen sensation Cori "Coco" Gauff has already claimed some huge scalps at Wimbledon but her latest win on Saturday morning was her best yet.
The 15-year-old phenomenon — who became the youngest ever player to qualify for Wimbledon in the Open era and the youngest player to win amain draw singles match since 1991 — charged into the fourth round with a spectacular come-from-behind 3-6 7-6 7-5 win over Polona Hercog on Centre Court.
After winning the first set 6-3 in a relatively comfortable 36 minutes, the tables turned on the Slovenian as she found out the hard way how much Gauff is willing to fight to be the new top dog in women's tennis.
A marathon second set had dragged on for more than an hour before the two stars went back-and-forth in a tense tiebreak, which the teen eventually claimed 9-7. Gauff let out a roar and beat her chest with her fist, adrenaline flowing through her veins.
A trainer came out to treat Hercog's leg and after a her strong start the match started to slip out of her grasp. Gauff broke early in the third set for a 3-1 lead then consolidated on serve to make it 4-1.
She was looking the goods but Hercog held serve then hit back with a break of her own as she too screamed in celebration, geeing herself up for what was going to be a nailbiting finish.
But Gauff broke back then dropped a couple of huge "C'mons!" as she won key points in her next service game to establish a 5-4 advantage.
United States' Cori 'Coco' Gauff returns to Slovenia's Polona Hercog in a Women's singles match during day five of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Photo / AP.
Down 5-6 on serve, Hercog was feeling the pressure and when a lob off her racquet went long it was party time for Gauff.
"Right now I'm just super relieved that it's over. It was a long match, she was playing unbelievable," Gauff said.
"It was my first match on Centre Court, people say Court 1 is my court, maybe centre can be too."
Just like it was after her first two matches, the tennis world was left to pick its jaw up off the floor. Social media was abuzz and Gauff was immediately trending on Twitter as everyone with an internet connection praised the youngster's amazing show.
This is quite astonishing from 15-year-old Coco Gauff. Eight days ago, there were about ten of us interviewing her in a small white marquee in Roehampton after she qualified. Now into the last-16 and undoubtedly the story of the tournament. #Wimbledon
Gauff's latest stunner comes after she brushed aside legend and childhood hero Venus Williams in straight sets to open her campaign, then rock and rolled 30-year-old Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3 6-3 in round two.
The young gun has been the story of the tournament and the hype train has been going full steam ahead as fans get behind the girl who said after demolishing Williams she wants to win the whole grand slam at her first attempt.
The huge surge in interest in Gauff's journey is why Wimbledon organisers scheduled her third-round encounter on Centre Court — and she justified the call with another incredible performance.
