New Delhi: 15 years old American tennis prodigy Cori "Coco" Gauff, became the youngest player in the Open era to advance through qualifying to reach Wimbledon's main draw where she will play compatriot Venus Williams.
Cori defeated her own idol Venus Williams, sister of Serena Williams. The Delray Beach, Florida, resident, who's been touted as the next Serena Williams, told an interviewer for Wimbledon, "I'm still in shock," adding, "Playing against the top players in the field is going to be a different feel."
When the Wimbledon draw was announced Friday, Gauff was handed a first-round match against 39-year-old Venus, a five-time champion at the All England Club.
Gauff, who was born on March 13, 2004, secured her spot at the fabled tennis championships with a win in the final qualifying round at Roehampton on Thursday.
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Gauff will be the 12th youngest overall to play at the Wimbledon main draw, but the 11 others didn't make it through qualifying.
Wimbledon says it also doles out wild card slots to players whose world ranking isn't high enough to automatically qualify for the tournament, but who are noteworthy based on previous performances or their ability to "increase British interest."
The last 15-year-old to compete through a wild card slot at Wimbledon was Laura Robson in 2009, a British player who'd won Junior Wimbledon the year before.