Gauff and Zverev break new ground at Wimbledon, Osaka bows out

LONDON, July 7 : American Coco Gauff and Germany's Alexander Zverev both broke new ground at Wimbledon on Tuesday but Naomi Osaka's title hopes evaporated on a boiling hot day at the All England Club.

Hot weather warnings might have furrowed the brow of men's defending champion Jannik Sinner but he tamed German veteran Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5 7-6(4) 6-3 to reach the semi-finals.

Seventh seed Gauff's relationship with grass has been lukewarm since she made her Wimbledon debut as a 15-year-old in 2019 and had never gone past the fourth round.

The bond is clearly getting stronger though as she proved with a composed 4-6 6-3 6-3 victory over American number one Jessica Pegula on Centre Court.

OSAKA'S BID FOR FIFTH MAJOR HALTED

Zverev, whose Wimbledon ceiling had also previously been the fourth round, returned to finish off dangerous Czech Jiri Lehecka to reach his first quarter-final there.

The 29-year-old had been three games from victory on Monday evening before being snagged by Wimbledon's curfew and despite allowing Lehecka back into the match on the resumption he completed a 6-4 7-5 3-6 7-6(6) win.

He will be back on court on Wednesday to face American Taylor Fritz in a battle of the 140 mph servers.

Japan's Osaka's outfits and tennis have sparkled in equal measure at this year's Championships, and her dominant victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday had many predicting she could go on and win a fifth Grand Slam title.

The 14th seed ran into inspired Czech Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, however, losing 7-6(4) 6-4.

On a day of personal bests, Muchova also ensured her deepest Wimbledon run after twice falling in the last eight and she will now stand in the way of Gauff.

GAUFF'S GRASS DROUGHT ENDING