Amanda Anisimova reacts to ousting Cori Gauff in Wimbledon Centre Court debut

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American tennis star Amanda Anisimova couldn't hide her happiness after beating fellow compatriot Cori Gauff as she said it was special to beat a big name in her Centre Court debut. On Saturday, Anisimova stepped onto the Wimbledon Centre Court for the first time in her career.

Playing her first Centre Court match, Anisimova delivered as she defeated 11th-seeded Gauff 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-1. "It's my first time playing on Centre Court. It's the most special day, I think, of my career," Anisimova said in her on-court interview, per the WTA website.

"It's just a huge privilege to play on this court, playing Coco. She's an amazing player and just got to the finals of a Grand Slam. Before the match, I was just trying to prepare myself to soak in this moment whether I win or lose.

Winning today is just so special. I think the worst thing for a tennis player is to lose 7-6 in the first set ... It's really important to just bounce back and give everything I have. It was very easy to do, especially on this court, even though it was extremely exhausting."

Gauff recovered after losing the first set

Gauff made a strong start to the match, taking an early 3-0 lead.

It didn't take long for Anisimova to respond as she claimed back-to-back breaks and won four games in a row to take a 4-3 lead. In the eighth game, Anisimova missed out on a chance to win her fifth consecutive game as Gauff broke back and tied the set to four games apiece.

As no more breaks were seen - the first set went into a tie-break - where Anisimova was 4-1 up before losing six points in a row and dropping the opener. After losing a tight first set, Anisimova bounced back in the second set as she broke Gauff three times to force a decider.

In the third set, the two players were tied to one game apiece before Anisimova claimed back-to-back breaks and won five games in a row to complete a big comeback win. Anisimova plays Harmony Tan next.