By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) – Even as Karolina Muchova’s surgically patched-up body went hurtling towards the turf after she conjured up a showstopping dive volley to catch Coco Gauff off guard in their Wimbledon semi-final, she never lost sight of the ball.
So what if the shot had taken the racket out of her hands or that the fall could once again damage a body that had already been put through the wringer with an assortment of ankle, abdominal and wrist injuries.
For a place in the Wimbledon final, Muchova was ready to put her body on the line, bruises and all.
That single-minded focus allowed Muchova to end Gauff’s incredible run of living dangerously at this year’s Wimbledon as she saved a match point in the third set tiebreak to topple the American in a nerve-shredding 6-2 1-6 7-6 (12-10) thriller.
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 tiebreak, 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 TIEBREAK TO DECIDE MATCH
Muchova was among those who could scarcely believe the drama that was unfolding during an electrifying tiebreak 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 semi-final of a major at the 2023 U.S. 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 who were 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.
While spectators struggled to stay cool in the furnace-like atmosphere on Centre Court, Muchova’s pick-and-mix variety of grasscourt craft shone brightly as she broke Gauff in the third and fifth games, with the American surrendering her serve for the second time by wildly misfiring a forehand into the back hoardings.
A 111 mph ace sealed the set for Muchova and put her within touching distance of a first Wimbledon final.
However, no one can accuse Gauff of holding up the white flag when the going gets tough or even taking the easy route as she survived four successive three setters to reach the semis — and once again she was ready to go the distance.
GAUFF KNOWS SHE GOT CLOSE
After failing to convert any of her first eight break point opportunities, the American seventh seed finally got the breakthrough on her ninth to take a 3-1 lead.
Another break for 5-1 sent her mother into raptures in the player’s box and one game later it was all level.
After two one-sided sets, both protagonists displayed their incredible ball-striking ability, producing ferocious forehands and breathtaking backhands, as they went toe-to-toe in a captivating decider.
Gauff had two chances to break for a 5-4 lead but once 10th seed Muchova used her get-out-of-jail-free card to wriggle out of that spot of bother, there was no stopping her.
She produced all the goods in the match tiebreak, including the outrageous diving volley winner and also lobbed Gauff to earn her first match point.
While that one went begging, she made no mistake on the second and held her arms aloft in victory after watching the American dump a forehand into the net to end the 2 hour 35 minute spectacle.
“Obviously got super close. Definitely going to think about the second, third, last point, whatever. A match for sure to remember. It’s tough to digest. I left it all out there,” summed up Gauff.
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar; Editing by Alison Williams)
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