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College star Oliver Tarvet wins in Slam debut at Wimbledon and could face Alcaraz next

College star Oliver Tarvet wins in Slam debut at Wimbledon and could face Alcaraz next

LONDON (AP) — Oliver Tarvet changed into his University of San Diego gear moments after a straight-set victory in his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon on Monday.
The 21-year-old British qualifier, who is ranked No. 733, beat Leandro Reidi of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
A bigger test awaits the communications major in the second round: he'll play either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Fabio Fognini.
'I'm just really overjoyed to be in this situation,' he told the BBC in an on-court interview. "It's my first tour-level event. To come out here, come through qualifying, and also win first round at Wimbledon, have a chance to play maybe Carlos on Wednesday is just truly incredible. It's just a dream come true."
Tarvet hugged friends moments after his victory on Court No. 4 and took a San Diego cap from one of them. He then changed out of his shirt and donned a T-shirt with a similar 'SD' logo.

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Coco Gauff announced herself at Wimbledon. Winning it may be her toughest tennis test
Coco Gauff announced herself at Wimbledon. Winning it may be her toughest tennis test

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Coco Gauff announced herself at Wimbledon. Winning it may be her toughest tennis test

Coco Gauff is back where it all began in 2019: on the Wimbledon grass. That might not be for the best. Six years ago, Gauff was a fresh-faced 15-year-old, shaking hands with one of her idols after vanquishing her. She had just stunned five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, beating her in straight sets on No. 1 Court in 79 minutes. It felt like more than a tennis match. It felt like a torch being passed. Advertisement It was the first of three wins that year for Gauff. She pounded her serve, saved match points and won the hearts of the British crowd. She played her way into the fourth round and onto Centre Court. She looked like a player who would grow up to win a lot on one of the most hallowed courts in the sport. Six years and two Grand Slam titles later, Gauff is 21. She still thanks the players who blazed the trail before her at every turn, and she still has days when she can slide one 120-miles-per-hour first serve after another off the court and past her despairing opponent. She may still have countless Centre Court wins ahead of her. Ironic as it might seem, the grass on which she announced herself now appears to be her worst surface, rather than her best. Wimbledon, the Grand Slam that made her name, might be the toughest tennis nut she has to crack. Gauff said as much this month during a news conference for the German Open in Berlin, before she played her first match since capturing the French Open title on the red clay of Roland Garros in Paris. She doesn't think grass is her best surface. She just wants to improve with each season. She has much to learn. In her pre-Wimbledon news conference, Gauff said that she is ready to evolve. Advertisement 'You need to play a little bit lower and more aggressive than the clay season, which is difficult, because you spend however many weeks playing a certain way,' she said. 'Then we come on grass, and we have 13 days to completely — not completely change, because you still have the core of your game — but just change a little bit how you play.' This year, Gauff had less time than ever. A whirlwind post-French Open media tour included appearances on The Today Show and The Tonight Show in New York. She got a little downtime at home, with her brothers, her friends and her boyfriend. Then came a journey back across the Atlantic to Berlin, where she walked onto a grass court against Wang Xinyu, the world No. 49. She played as one might have expected her to play, given her activities of the previous few weeks as well her record on grass, which that initial run at Wimbledon so often overshadows. Advertisement Wang beat Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 75 minutes. It was the third top-10 win of Wang's career; it pushed Gauff's career record on grass to 21-11, a 65 percent win rate. Her rate on the other surfaces is 70 percent. Her Wimbledon winning percentage is her lowest at the majors, and it's the only one of the four Grand Slams where she is yet to reach the quarterfinals. Those aren't the numbers the world expected to see six years ago, when Gauff was getting the better of seasoned professionals every other day. 'The sky's the limit, it really is,' said Williams, who was just two years removed from appearing in the Wimbledon final, despite being unseeded for her encounter with Gauff. Gauff's third-round match that year, against Polona Hercog of Slovenia, was probably the most impressive. It gave the biggest clue about what was to come. Gauff was the world No. 313 at the time. She'd received a last-minute wild card into qualifying, where she won three matches without losing a set. 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Wimbledon fever grips the nation - find out how to 'pay and play' tennis in York

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P&O Cruises confirmed as new Saints front-of-shirt sponsors
P&O Cruises confirmed as new Saints front-of-shirt sponsors

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time23 minutes ago

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P&O Cruises confirmed as new Saints front-of-shirt sponsors

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