CoCo Vandeweghe’s wonderful Wimbledon goes on.
The New York-born, California-based 23-year-old became the first unseeded player to reach the quarter-finals at this year’s Championships when she eliminated her third seeded opponent in succession – and she has yet to concede a set.
The latest victim was the Czech left-hander No.6 seed Lucie Safarova, fresh from an appearance in the ladies’ final at Roland Garros. She was sent packing in two tie-break sets, 7-6(1), 7-6(4)
Vandeweghe, who beat No.11 seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round before seeing off No.22 seed Sam Stosur, next comes up against No.4 seed and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova.
Showing an uncanny ability to hit the lines with a frequency that clearly dismayed her opponent, Vandeweghe’s most impressive skill on No.3 Court was her success in fighting off break points.
At 3-3 in the opening set she fell 15-40 behind on serve but battled her way out of trouble, only to be broken in the ninth game, receiving a warning for racket abuse.
Coco Vandeweghe
One of the worst matches I have played so far
Safarova, serving to take the first set, was in turn broken and when it came to the tie-break it was the American who pulled away to win it at a cost of just one point, rounding off the 50-minute set with an ace, the fourth of the nine she served in all.
The second tie-break of a close match in which Vandeweghe’s greater power was eventually conclusive swung her way with an ace, which took her to match point, followed by a crunching service winner.
Vandeweghe is clearly honest as well as talented, calling it “one of the worst matches I have played so far. My serve was in and out but it was there when I needed it especially towards the end.
“But I kept calm and cool. When the tougher, longer rallies happened I was on the winning end more times than I wasn’t."
For this she paid tribute to her coach, Craig Kardon, who once worked with Martina Navratilova, and who joined her in time for this year’s French Open.
“So I’m happy I’m finally getting some results at a Grand Slam and looking forward to my next match” (which will be against Maria Sharapova). “This is the farthest I have gone in a Grand Slam but I’m not considering it like, 'wow, a breakthrough.' I think it’s stepping stones more than a breakthrough.
She also explained her unusual first name: “My real name is Colleen, but my mom is a Sixties child and we all have nicknames. My brother is Beau, I have a younger brother who is Crash and a younger sister who is Honnie. I have always enjoyed Coco, except in my early school years when people were teasing me with Coco Puffs and that sort of stuff. But I love my name.”
