Coco Gauff didn't appear at her best on Wimbledon's Court One under the roof on Wednesday, but she maintained control throughout her error-filled second-round match, defeating Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni 6-2, 6-1. The US Open champion slipped and fell twice on the slippery court and was seen muttering to herself during the 66-minute match against an opponent ranked 140 places below her.
"I believe I could have played cleaner at certain points, but I'm pleased to have advanced to the third round," Gauff said during a post-match interview. The second seed, who became a crowd favorite at Wimbledon after her impressive fourth-round performance as a 15-year-old five years ago, made 16 unforced errors and managed to land only 43% of her first serves. However, her younger opponent, aged 19 and six months her junior, committed 23 unforced errors and struggled to find her rhythm against the agile American, who concluded the match with a drop shot that Todoni sent wide.
Gauff, who suffered a humiliating first-round exit last year against compatriot Sofia Kenin, mentioned that she has learned from that setback and her US Open victory to better manage her expectations and emotions. "Overall, I've learned a lot about life. What I do is very passionate, but it's not that serious. It's a game, it's sport. Sometimes the world can make you feel like there's so much pressure and expectation," she explained.
With the first-day withdrawals of Belarusians Aryna Sabalenka and former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, the draw has opened up for Gauff. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the third round, setting up a highly anticipated match with fellow crowd-pleaser Frances Tiafoe. Alcaraz defeated Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-2, showcasing 42 winners. The third-seeded Spaniard's only moments of concern came in the first set when he let slip a 5-2 lead and found himself 5-6 down with Vukic serving for the opener. However, he regained his composure to secure the victory.
Alcaraz's next opponent, Tiafoe, advanced to the third round by defeating Borna Coric in straight sets. Eccentric Italian Fabio Fognini needed several match points to overcome eighth-seeded Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3. The 37-year-old Fognini, sporting bleach-blond hair, twice served for the match from 5-2 up in the third set before sealing the victory in the fourth set. "It just shows why I love and hate this sport," Fognini remarked.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, rallied from dropping the first set and facing two set points in the second to defeat Alexandre Muller of France 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5. Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka returned to Centre Court for the first time in five years, having only recently returned to the tour after giving birth to her daughter Shai in July last year. Osaka's win over Diane Parry in the first round marked her first Wimbledon victory since 2018. She will next face America's 17th-ranked Emma Navarro, who arrived in London following a semifinal run at the Bad Homburg grass-court tournament.
Later on Wednesday, world number one Jannik Sinner will face Italian compatriot and former runner-up Matteo Berrettini. Italian men's tennis is currently at its strongest, with five players in the top 50 and a recent Davis Cup victory. Ten Italian men started the singles tournament at Wimbledon this year. Sinner, the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam title with his victory at the Australian Open in January, also became the first from his country to reach world number one. "I feel like in Italy we have so many tournaments, starting with juniors, then the Futures and Challengers," said 22-year-old Sinner. "We have big, big ATP tournaments there. We have good facilities and great coaches."
