LONDON (AP) 鈥� There鈥檚 not usually a clock ticking down in tennis.
Yet for at on Sunday, the All England Club’s 11 p.m. curfew made it seem like there was.
And Gauff hit the winning shot at the buzzer.
, Gauff converted her first match point with a service winner out wide to reach the quarterfinals at the grass-court Grand Slam for the first time.
After beating Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, Gauff tapped her left wrist with the fingers on her right hand to acknowledge the timely ending.
Gauff said it 鈥渒ind of reminded me of鈥� for the Toronto Raptors in 2019 that bounced off the rim four times before becoming the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history.
Because if Gauff hadn鈥檛 ended it in that game, the match would have been suspended until Monday.
鈥淚 was looking at the clock the last service game,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 got to hit some big serves and some big shots.鈥� And honestly, that match point, I was going for a serve and volley because I was like, ‘I need to end the point.’
鈥淭hat was probably the most dramatic finish. I鈥檝e never had to race against time. Playing tennis we鈥檙e used to not having a clock. But honestly, today I felt the pressure. 鈥� Glad I didn鈥檛 choose basketball.鈥�
Gauff did play basketball as a kid. But, she said, 鈥淚 did not hit any buzzer-beaters.鈥�
Gauff had reached the fourth round four times in her Wimbledon career 鈥� including during her breakthrough run as a 15-year-old in 2019. Now, for the first time, she鈥檚 gone one step further.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely hungry for more,鈥� Gauff said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a great accomplishment.鈥�
Gauff鈥檚 quarterfinal opponent will be fellow American and occasional doubles partner Jessica Pegula, who beat Iva Jovic 鈥� another American 鈥� 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
鈥淚t will be the third flat hitter I鈥檝e played in a row,鈥� Gauff said. 鈥淭he last two matches I鈥檝e had definitely gave me prep for her.鈥�
___
AP tennis:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
