Gauff completes the top-half line-up as the leading names march into the second week
The last woman through on a day for the favourites: Coco Gauff (No 7) edged qualifier Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon last 16, where a meeting with Belinda Bencic – a three-hour winner over Anna Kalinskaya – awaits.
Coco Gauff, Wimbledon 2026 | © Action Plus / PsNewz
American seventh seed Coco Gauff was the last woman through to the fourth round of Wimbledon on Friday evening, edging American qualifier Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 to complete the top-half line-up on a day that saw the leading seeds hold firm
Gauff, ranked No 7, dropped the second set on a tie-break before reasserting herself in the decider, and reached the last 16 at the All England Club for a fourth time, still seeking a first quarter-final here.
She had come through the earlier rounds against Argentinian qualifier Solana Sierra (6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7)) and German Tamara Korpatsch (6-2, 6-1). Liu, the world No 146, had beaten Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez (7-5, 6-3) and Belgian Hanne Vandewinkel (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) to reach the third round.
Her win closed a day in which the top of the draw largely went to form. World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, still chasing a first Wimbledon title, was at her most efficient in beating Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4, striking 19 winners to six unforced errors to set up a heavyweight fourth-round meeting with Naomi Osaka.
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula, yet to drop a set all fortnight, brushed aside Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 6-3 to underline her standing as one of the contenders on the grass.
The Czech pair of Barbora Krejcikova and Karolina Muchova both advanced, the reigning and 2024 champions keeping their halves ticking over: Krejcikova, fresh from her upset of French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, beat compatriot Nikola Bartunkova 6-3, 7-5, while 10th seed Muchova saw off Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-2, 7-6 (1), the conqueror of Andreeva’s victim in Paris.
American teenager Iva Jovic, the 16th seed, came through an all-seeded contest against Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
The day’s longest battle belonged to Belinda Bencic, the 11th seed, who outlasted Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) in just under three hours, twice squandering a break advantage in the final set before edging the tie-break. The 2020 Olympic champion, a semi-finalist here last year, will now face Gauff for a place in the quarter-finals.
Wimbledon 2026, women’s singles, third rond matches
A. Sabalenka [1] d. J. Ostapenko: 6-4, 6-4
N. Osaka [14] d. D. Kasatkina: 6-1, 6-3
K. Muchova [10] d. M. Sawangkaew: 6-2, 7-6(1)
B. Krejcikova d. N. Bartunkova: 6-3, 7-5
J. Pegula [4] d. J. Bouzas Maneiro: 6-1, 6-3
I. Jovic [16] d. E. Alexandrova [18]: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
B. Bencic [11] d. A. Kalinskaya [19]: 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6)
C. Gauff [7] d. C. Liu: 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2
D. Snigur vs A. Krueger (Q) – saturday
M. Kostyuk [12] vs E. Navarro [23] – saturday
J. Paolini [13] vs M. Sakkari – saturday
I. Swiatek [3] vs A. Eala [29] – saturday
A. Anisimova [6] vs M. Keys [26] – saturday
S. Cirstea [17] vs L. Noskova [9] – saturday
M. Bouzkova [21] vs L. Samsonova – saturday
E. Rybakina [2] vs E. Mertens [25] – saturday
