Coco Gauff is yet to become truly acquainted with the Wimbledon crowd - but she has been around its plush surrounds long enough to know it always backs a Brit.

Gauff breezed through to the last 32 on Wednesday, requiring just one hour and six minutes to dispatch 19-year-old Anca Todoni 6-2 6-1 and line up a tie with British qualifier Sonay Kartal.

It is easy to forget that Gauff is just 20 herself, with both players on Court 1 born in 2004, such is the maturity with which the American both plays and speaks.

She will now face Kartal, likely on Centre Court, after the world No.298 beat Clara Burel, ranked 253 places above her, 6-3 5-7 6-3.

World No.2 Gauff has looked in fine touch in SW19 as she bounces back from her first-round exit last year but knows tackling a home hopeful at the All England Club is never easy.

“I don't know much [about her], to be honest,” said Gauff. “It will be tough to face a Brit obviously, especially on grass. I think that they always do really well, but especially in this environment.”


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Gauff broke her Grand Slam duck at last year’s US Open but has no intention of dwelling on her victory at Flushing Meadows.

The 20-year-old has arrived in London in the kind of form that makes adding a second Slam come next Saturday a real possibility, with the SW19 draw also falling in her favour by guaranteeing a debutant finalist from her half.

But Gauff is taking nothing for granted despite admitting she feels freer after getting her first one in the bag at the end of last year.

She added: “I think a lot of pressure lifted because that was something that I had a lot of expectations on myself to do.

“Although I feel still young and felt young, I guess I felt like I needed it to happen now.

“I never wanted to take my career or any moment for granted. I never wanted to say, ‘Well, I'll get there eventually’, and then it never happens. There's a lot of players in the past that have had that happen to them.

“I take every moment seriously, every semi-final, every quarter-final. I don't go in thinking I will have many more, just relax, because you don't know that nothing is promised.

“I have a lot more aspirations obviously than just winning one. I think the start of one just gives you a taste and gives you the belief that you can do it again.”

Gauff will be joined in the third round by fellow American Emma Navarro, who put an emphatic halt to Naomi Osaka’s SW19 return with a 6-4 6-1 win on Centre Court.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was playing her first Wimbledon in five years owing to injury, pregnancy and a mental health break and got past Diane Parry in the first round.

But 19th seed Navarro was more than a touch above for Osaka, who is still returning to the level she was once at, with the American utterly ruthless in their hour-long encounter and showing no nerves on her Centre Court debut.

"It was definitely a special experience playing out on Centre Court,” she said. “I really tried to enjoy it and take it all in and really appreciate the opportunity, also while playing good tennis. I think I was able to do that. A really amazing and special experience today.

"There was some specific preparation today in terms of just game plan and how I wanted to take it on mentally.

"But also, I think it's been years of preparation that made me able to feel comfortable and feel like physically and mentally I'm able to take that challenge on.

"Today I wanted to play aggressively and push back against her, especially on her serve, make her think a little and feel uncomfortable in her serve. That was a big thing."

The bottom half of the draw also includes Emma Raducanu, who will face world No.9 Maria Sakkari, after the Greek eased past Arantxa Rus 7-5 6-3.