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US Teen Scores Major Upset at Wimbledon


United States' Cori "Coco" Gauff, right, greets the United States' Venus Williams at the net after winning their Women's singles match during day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 1, 2019.
United States' Cori "Coco" Gauff, right, greets the United States' Venus Williams at the net after winning their Women's singles match during day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 1, 2019.

A 15-year-old playing for the first time at Wimbledon scored a stunning upset against her idol and five-time champion Monday.

Coco Gauff dropped her racket and held her head in her hands after beating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.

The crowd gave Gauff a standing ovation as she and Williams shook hands and exchanged friendly words at the net.

"Honestly, I really don't know how to feel," she said. "This is the first time I ever cried after a match, or winning."

United States' Cori "Coco" Gauff reacts after beating United States' Venus Williams in a women's singles match during day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 1, 2019.
United States' Cori "Coco" Gauff reacts after beating United States' Venus Williams in a women's singles match during day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 1, 2019.

At 15, Gauff is the youngest player ever to qualify for Wimbledon. At 39, Williams is the oldest woman entered this year.

Gauff said she grew up in Atlanta and later Delray Beach, Florida, idolizing Venus Williams and her sister Serena. Gauff has won the U.S. Open and the French Open junior titles and says winning Wimbledon is now her goal.

Gauff was not the only player to win in an upset on day one of Wimbledon on Monday.

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putinseva knocked out second seed Naomi Osaka 7-6, 6-2, and two top-seeded men's players — No. 6 Alexander Zverev and No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas — were also eliminated.

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