WASHINGTON, July 29 — Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American who breezed into the Wimbledon last 16 earlier this month, advanced into the WTA Washington Open main draw with a qualifying triumph yesterday.

Gauff defeated Japan's Hiroko Kuwata 6-1, 6-2 in 64 minutes to reach the women's field of 32 in the US Open hardcourt women's tuneup event played alongside an ATP men's tournament.

It was not immediately known who her first-round opponent would be or when she would appear in her first main draw match since Wimbledon.

Gauff stands 143rd in the world rankings after arriving last month at Wimbledon ranked 313th before she zipped through qualifying into a first-round match on the England grass against childhood idol Venus Williams.

Gauff defeated 44th-ranked Williams in her opener and rolled into the fourth round before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep.

Gauff also dispatched Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova and saved two match points in defeating Slovenia's 60th-ranked Polona Hercog. — AFP