By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) – For a place in the Wimbledon final, Karolina Muchova was ready to put her body on the line. A maiden Grand Slam title could heal all her past wounds when she takes on Czech compatriot Linda Noskova on Saturday.
Even as Muchova’s surgically patched-up body went hurtling towards the turf after conjuring a showstopping dive volley to catch Coco Gauff off guard in their 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?
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 Noskova beating Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-4 in Thursday’s second semi, a subdued contest by comparison, 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.
“It was such a big fight. It was a rollercoaster, you’re up and down,” a beaming 29-year-old, 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.”
Many of the fans who had sweltered on the edge of their seats as Muchova and Gauff went toe-to-toe were slow to return for the second semi.
Kostyuk, trying to become the first Ukrainian woman in the professional era to reach a Grand Slam final, struggled to fire herself up as the 21-year-old Noskova navigated her first major semi-final in calm fashion.
Only when Kostyuk blazed a forehand into the tramlines on the second match point did Noskova let her guard slip.
“I couldn’t really believe it. You always want to be in those moments. You always want to win these big matches. But when it actually happens, you don’t know how to react,” ninth seed Noskova said.
“I always realise any success … or a good tournament after it’s all done. Right now I feel like I’m already focusing on the final.”
GAUFF LEFT TO RUE MATCH POINT
Gauff had never flourished on Wimbledon’s lawns before this year but after surviving several tough contests looked set to make the final with Muchova struggling physically in the deciding set of an absorbing contest.
Her moment seemed to have arrived at 9-8 in the tiebreak as Muchova could only spoon back a serve. With the court at her mercy Gauff had countless options but attempted a drop shot that finished in the bottom of the net.
“At the end of the day, that’s the choice I made. Was it the right one in that moment? Maybe not,” Gauff said later.
“I just panicked a little bit.”
ELECTRIFYING TIEBREAK
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 battled back to reach match point first.
Muchova then slipped at the net as Gauff saved one match point but the Czech made no mistake at the second time of asking, running Gauff side to side before the American missed.
“In my head I was thinking just like I have to keep hitting. I was telling myself if I’m going to lose this, I want to lose on my own terms,” said the former French Open finalist.
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. 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 and for the fifth round in succession she was ready to go the distance.
MUCHOVA PLAYED AUDACIOUS TENNIS
After squandering her first eight break point opportunities, the American seventh seed finally got the breakthrough on her ninth to take a 3-1 lead before breaking again at 5-1 to send her mother into raptures in the player’s box.
After two one-sided sets, both protagonists displayed their incredible ball-striking ability 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.
Despite holding her side at times, she played some audacious tennis in the tiebreak including the dive volley and a topspin lob to earn her first match point.
While that one went begging, she was soon holding her arms aloft after a 2 hour 35 minute spectacle.
“Obviously got super close,” Gauff said. “A match for sure to remember. It’s tough to digest. I left it all out there.”
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar and Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Williams)
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