Muchova beats Gauff in tie-break thriller to reach first Wimbledon final
Muchova sets up final against compatriot Noskova, who overcame Kostyuk in the other women’s semifinal. A single-minded focus despite prior injuries allowed Czechia’s Karolina Muchova
Muchova sets up final against compatriot Noskova, who overcame Kostyuk in the other women’s semifinal. A single-minded focus despite prior injuries allowed Czechia’s Karolina Muchova to end Coco Gauff’s incredible run in their Wimbledon semifinal with a thrilling three-set tie-break win over the American tennis player. Gauff, who is yet to progress past the last four at Wimbledon, lived dangerously at the year’s third Grand Slam, but 10th-seeded Muchova came out on top after saving a match point in the third-set tie-breaker to topple the seventh seed in a nerve-shredding 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) result. Muchova, who has undergone multiple surgeries recently, went hurtling towards the turf after she conjured up a show-stopping dive volley to catch Gauff off guard but never lost sight of the ball. For a place in the Wimbledon final, Muchova was ready to put her body on the line, bruises and all. All-Czech final With compatriot Linda Noskova beating Marta Kostyuk in Thursday’s second semi, the duo set up an all-Czech women’s final at a Grand Slam for the first time. It also meant that for the third time in four years, a Czech will hold aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish, after the triumphs of Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024. All those dreams were on the verge of vanishing within a blink of an eye for Muchova when Gauff stood at match point at 9-8 in the tie-break, but the American left the spellbound crowd gasping as she produced a howler.
Hesitating for a fraction of a second, her attempt at a dropshot ended with the ball being dumped into the net. Rollercoaster tie-break to decide match Muchova was among those who could scarcely believe the drama unfolding during an electrifying tie-break where she had surged to a 4-1 lead, extended that to 6-3, before Gauff defied logic to reach match point first. But as Gauff discovered, the gulf between reaching match point and converting match point is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. “It sounds really nice to be in the final. It was such a big fight. It was a rollercoaster; you’re up and down,” a beaming Muchova, still trying to catch her breath, told the crowd. “In 10 seconds, you have a match point, then you’re match point down. There’s no time to think, but very nerve-racking. I don’t even know what I’m saying. “I’m really shaking and trying to let it sink in, but the atmosphere here – indescribable.” When the duo last met in the semifinal of a major at the 2023 US Open, climate protesters, including one who glued their feet to the cement floor of the stands, disrupted play for almost 50 minutes. At least this time, it was the players creating all the excitement. Furnace on Centre Court No one would have guessed that Muchova is allergic to grass, and requires “a lot of pills, sprays, eyedrops” just to step onto the most famous patch of turf in tennis.
The BriefWire