Third seed Coco Gauff produced another resilient performance to secure her place in the Australian Open quarter-finals, overcoming Karolina Muchova in a gripping three-set contest on Sunday.
The American defeated the Czech player 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to extend her perfect head-to-head record against Muchova to five wins. The victory further underlined Gauff’s strong form, with the 21-year-old having gone on to win every tournament in which she has previously beaten Muchova, including the 2023 US Open.
Gauff made a blistering start at Melbourne Park, racing to a 5-0 lead within 20 minutes and closing out the opening set with ease. Muchova, who arrived in Melbourne after registering two top-10 victories in Brisbane, struggled to find her rhythm early and failed to halt Gauff’s momentum in the first set.
The match swung in the second set as Muchova capitalized on Gauff’s serving troubles, breaking twice to establish a 4-1 advantage. The Czech player served confidently to love to level the match, claiming her first set against Gauff in five encounters.
Responding strongly, Gauff raised her intensity in the decider, forcing errors from Muchova to move ahead 4-1. A fiercely contested seventh game saw both players engaged in extended rallies before Gauff struck a decisive backhand winner to seize control.
Muchova showed determination by saving three match points, but Gauff eventually sealed the victory to progress to the last eight.
“I didn’t panic today,” Gauff said after the match. “I felt the second set could have gone my way, so I knew I just had to take my chances in the third set.”
Reflecting on the closing stages, she added that trusting her second serve was a key factor in securing the win.
Gauff will now look to build on her momentum as she continues her quest for the Australian Open title.
