'In shock': 15-year-old makes tennis history with incredible Wimbledon record

American teenager Cori Gauff has made tennis history, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for Wimbledon.

Gauff will also be the first 15-year-old to compete in the main draw since Britain's Laura Robson in 2009 after defeating 19th seed Greet Minnen of Belgium 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday.

“I’m still in shock that I’m going to be playing main draw Wimbledon,” Gauff said.

“I think my first memory was watching Serena (Williams) playing Wimbledon, and I think she won — I don’t remember which year, she’s won so many times.

“I don’t know about any of the records I break until after, until somebody tells me. I just feel really blessed that I’m able to. I’m thankful that my parents never put any limitations on my goals, because sometimes parents can do that.

“My parents always told me to shoot as high as I wanted to. And I’m just happy that, not only did they accept my goals, they really sacrificed everything to make sure I get there.”

Aussies qualify

Teenage prodigy Alexei Popyrin is hoping to "cause some damage" after fulfilling a lifelong dream and securing a ticket to Wimbledon.

The former French Open junior champion overcame American Bjorn Fratangelo in four tension-filled sets in the final round of qualifying to give Australia 13 players in the singles draw at The All England Club.

Popyrin recovered from a mini mid-match collapse - when he dropped the third set, received a warning for swearing and went down a break early in the fourth - to guts out a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) victory at Roehampton.

Urged on by his new grass-court advisor, 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, Popyrin was overjoyed to clinch his place in Friday night's eagerly awaited draw.

"It's definitely a dream come true," Popyrin said.

"I'm definitely enjoying that. It's always special to have a legend in the game on your side, in your camp, and he's definitely been giving me a lot of advice, a lot of tips here and there, especially on the grass court.

"He's just a great motivator."

Popyrin broke into the world's top 100 this week but missed last month's direct entry cut-off mark by four rankings spots.

After almost two years in the grand slam wilderness, Popyrin's compatriot Arina Rodionova is just happy to be back at a major after mounting a spirited fightback against American Danielle Lao.

Bagelled in the opening set, Rodionova joined world No.1 Ashleigh Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Gavrilova, Astra Sharma and Samantha Stosur in the women's draw with a 0-6 6-1 6-1 recovery mission.

"Oh my god, you have no idea. It feels amazing. It feels the world to me," said Rodionova, who has slumped to No.212 in the world.

"Playing the main draw in a slam, that's what we play tennis for basically."

In stark contrast to Popyrin's and Rodionova's elation, there was abject disappointment for countrymen Andrew Harris and Jason Kubler.

Harris's bid to follow in his mother's footsteps by gracing Wimbledon's hallowed grass courts ended in a crushing defeat at the hands of Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

Harris' mother Anne Minter twice reached the last 16 at London's SW11, in 1988 and 1991, but the 25-year-old was no match for Moutet, succumbing 6-2 6-4 6-4 to the qualifying top seed.

And hoping to qualify for the second straight year, Kubler faded from two sets to one up in a 6-3 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-3 loss to Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama.

with agencies