Sinner faces tricky Brooksby as confident Gauff eyes Wimbledon surge

July 2 : Wimbledon kicks off its third round on Friday, with world number one Jannik Sinner facing a tricky test in Jenson Brooksby and an emboldened Coco Gauff hoping to further capitalise on her improved, confident serve.

TOP MEN'S MATCH: JANNIK SINNER V JENSON BROOKSBY

After a five-set battle with Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, Sinner's straight-sets win over Nuno Borges was a relief to the defending champion, but the world number one admitted he was still far from his best after being dragged into two challenging tiebreaks.

"Trying to go a little bit more to the net. Trying to be a bit more aggressive. Also the movement itself I can improve," said Sinner, who also appeared to have recovered from a ripped toenail that bled through his shoe during the first round.

"The first couple of matches ... they're always tough. Now I'm past them. Let's see what's coming on the next round."

Sinner faces a tricky test against Brooksby, who is known for trapping his opponents in long rallies and outwitting them with unorthodox shots, including an unusual two-handed backhand slice.

The two last met in 2021, when Sinner won in straight sets. But the Italian four-time Grand Slam winner said Brooksby, ranked 81 in the world, had improved a lot since their last clash.

"It's going to be a very different match ... a very tough match. I'm looking forward to it," Sinner said.

TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: CLAIRE LIU V COCO GAUFF

Gauff was put through a battle by Solana Sierra in the second round, and the American two-time Grand Slam winner came out of the test feeling emboldened about her prospects of finally making a deep run at Wimbledon, having never gone beyond the fourth round.

"I think that was my first time doing a 10-pointer (tiebreak) in the