Arabic version: موخوفا تتخطى كوكو جوف في شوط فاصل مثير 12-10 في ويمبلدون
Twenty-two points. Eighteen minutes. Three match points. One winner. Karolina Muchova edged Coco Gauff 6-2 1-6 7-6 (12-10) to reach her first Wimbledon final after a tie-break that swung repeatedly between the players. “Honestly, during that tie-break, it was like a rollercoaster emotionally for me,” said Muchova.
Muchova seized an early advantage in the decider, opening up a 4-1 lead with a 113mph serve and an audacious volley. She then halted Gauff’s momentum with a sensational diving volley that left her face down on the grass and followed with a 114mph ace to move 6-3 ahead. Commentators suggested the whole match had been a tie-break in miniature, with Martina Navratilova saying, “You can just watch the tie-break.” Marion Bartoli and others noted Gauff’s movement as she fought back to level at 6-6 and then again at 8-8. BBC News
Tension intensified as the pair traded errors and winners. Gauff, who had recorded only her second double fault of the match in the tie-break, gave up a crucial point but the tie-break continued to oscillate. After a time-violation warning, Muchova overhit a backhand to hand Gauff a match point at 9-9, yet Gauff sent a drop shot into the net and the chance slipped away. Muchova then produced a perfectly placed lob to earn her first match point, only to slip dramatically while trying to finish the point and see Gauff save it with a cross-court forehand to pull the score back to 10-10.
Muchova recovered, created a second match point with an inside-out forehand that opened the court and then closed the match when Gauff put a ball into the net. Centre Court erupted as Muchova threw her arms aloft. Commentators described the encounter as “incredible drama” and “quite the rollercoaster,” with Annabel Croft praising Muchova’s bravery and saying she “earned the win.”
Muchova’s victory sets up the first all-Czech Grand Slam final, against Linda Noskova on Centre Court on Saturday (16:00 BST). Gauff will be left to process the missed opportunity to reach her first grass-court final at the All England Club after a contest that, by many accounts, lived up to its billing.
