The 29-year-old Czech prevailed in a dramatic match tiebreak. Gauff led 9-8 and held match point but hit a forehand long. Muchova converted her second match point to win the tiebreak 12-10 in the third set.
“It sounds really nice to be in the final. To be honest, it was a big fight, a rollercoaster. It was nerve-wracking,” Muchova said after the match. “I’m shaking.” The former French Open finalist looked tired toward the end in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius but said she was physically fine.
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had turned the match around after losing the first set by playing more aggressively. The third set remained close. Muchova will face either Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk or Linda Noskova in Saturday’s final. With Gauff’s exit, there will be a first-time winner at one of tennis’s four major tournaments.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
