US Open: Coco Gauff beats Karolina Muchova to reach maiden US Open final in a gripping encounter

Coco Gauff is into her first US Open final after beating Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5 on a dramatic night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In a match of two halves, a thoroughly entertaining contest was played out against the backdrop of a highly-charged US Open crowd.

A compelling but error-strewn first set

Gauff got off to a lightning-quick start, winning eight of the first ten points to hold serve and then break Muchova at the first time of asking, as the Czech struggled to settle in what was one of the biggest matches of her career.

After a brief wobble to slip 0-30 down in the third game, Gauff authoritatively steadied the ship to win the next four points and consolidate the early break for a 3-0 lead.

Muchova notched her first game onto the scoreboard with a hold in the next game. But Gauff’s serve was in superb condition early on, and the American held to love again to restore her three game advantage and move into a 4-1 lead.

The Czech looked overawed by the occasion as her backhand and drop shot were both severely misfiring. Muchova had already hit seven unforced errors off the backhand wing as Coco Gauff broke again for a 5-1 lead in just over 20 minutes.

Gauff had won 12 out of 14 points on serve up until that point, but a rather rushed service game from the American – perhaps as she saw the finish line approach in that first set – handed one of the breaks back to Muchova.

A solid hold for the Czech, who was beginning to grow into the match, put the pressure back on Gauff to try to serve the set out for a second time, and the pressure once again took its toll. Gauff was tight as her forehand began to desert her and Muchova broke again to move back on serve.

But the world No 10 could not capitalise on an unexpected comeback, as she donated her serve back to the American, broken to love and handing Gauff the opening set.

To her credit, Gauff’s change of tactics in that last game paid huge dividends. The world No 6 took some of the pace off her groundstrokes, elongating the rallies as she banked on her opponent’s evident nerves to produce unforced errors.

That it did, and after an error-strewn opener in which both players had been affected by the weight of the occasion, it was Coco Gauff who had the first set under her belt.

A 45-minute match suspension gives way to a captivating second set

Gauff had just held serve at the start of the second when the match was suspended for around 45 minutes.

In somewhat farcical and bizarre scenes, disruption from a group of environmental protestors in the crowd led to both players leaving the court while the situation was handled by tournament security. A lengthy delay followed as it transpired one of the protestors had glued his bare feet to the ground, requiring the New York Police Department to come and help remove the protestor so the match could continue.

This interval did little to suck the atmosphere out of a raucous Arthur Ashe. Quite the opposite. As the players returned to court, they were greeted by a delirious US Open crowd who made their feelings on the delay made clear in feverishly humid conditions.

On the resumption of play, both players came out swinging freely, the break in play ironically having loosened them up after a tight and tense first set.

Two holds opened up the restart, with Muchova then saving a break point in the fourth game with a superb lob after Gauff had charged the net. The score moved level at 2-2.

All went on serve up until 4-3, with both players striking the ball well and efficiently defending their serves. That all changed in the eighth game, however, when Gauff made what looked likely to be the decisive breakthrough, taking her opponent’s serve as some unwanted unforced errors crept back into the Czech’s game.

Serving for the match at 5-3 up, Gauff moved into a commanding 30-0 lead before a double-fault and a beautiful forehand passing shot down the line from Muchova pegged the American back to 30-30. A stunningly executed drop shot from Gauff then gave her match point – one that was snuffed out brilliantly by trademark net-play from the Czech, sneaking into the forecourt and putting away a wonderful backhand volley to leave Gauff stranded.

The world No 6 staved off an initial break point, but was at a loss to stop the resurgent Muchova from breaking back as a couple of loose forehands ensured the match continued.

Muchova held to level the scores at five games apiece.

As the stakes rose, so too did the intensity and quality of the tennis on display. Both players exhibited the full repertoire of their technical and physical abilities as the match burst into life, with Muchova’s devilish drop shots being chased down by a lightning-quick Coco Gauff.

The American held serve to edge ahead again at 6-5 in the second.

A titanic twelfth game proves decisive as Gauff reaches a maiden US Open final place

Serving to take the second set into a tiebreak, a double-fault followed by a long forehand from Muchova brought up another two match points for Gauff. The first was saved by Muchova in sublime fashion with a stunning forehand deep down the line, before the American pushed a forehand wide on the next.

Gauff was given a fourth chance to seal the win when Muchova dumped a forehand into the net. But again, Muchova held firm in the rally as Gauff overhit a second forehand wide.

A fifth match point came and went, Muchova saving it with a powerful one-two punch, before a mesmerising 40-shot rally on the next deuce brought up a sixth chance for the American to clinch a spot in her first US Open final.

I grew up watching this tournament so much so this means a lot to me to be in a final.

Gauff on reaching the US Open final for the first time

This time, Coco Gauff did not squander it, with the Czech blinking first by hitting a forehand long as Arthur Ashe erupted.

“Thank you guys so much. Some of those points were so loud and I don’t know if my ears are going to be OK,” Gauff said in her on-court interview in front of an over-the-moon Arthur Ashe crowd.

“No, be even louder! Thank you guys so much. This is crazy. I grew up watching this tournament so much so this means a lot to me to be in a final.

“[There is] a lot to celebrate but the job is not done and hopefully you guys can back me on Saturday.”

When told that Naomi Osaka had been court-side watching her match, Gauff referenced their seminal early meeting at Flushing Meadows.

“I did not notice she was sitting here until now but thanks for coming. I remember the moment we had on this court three years ago and it meant a lot to me.

“I’m so excited to have you back on tour and hopefully I get to meet your daughter. Hi to your mum too.”

Much to be positive about for Muchova as Gauff eyes biggest achievement of all

It is a stunning achievement for the still-teenage American. Although it feels as though she has been around for such a long time, this is due to how early Gauff broke through – beating Venus Williams to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

Since then, Gauff has steadily built up an exceptional early career, reaching the final of Roland-Garros at just 18 years of age, before this year’s truly breakthrough summer during which she has won the Citi Open and a first Masters 1000 title in Montreal. This has now been backed up by a superb run to the final of Gauff’s home Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

While a desperately disappointing result for Muchova, once the dust settles on her US Open campaign, there will be much to feel positive about. A career that has been stalled for far too long due to recurrent injuries, the world No 10 is now firmly back where she belongs and has backed up a brilliant run to the final of the French with her showing in New York this fortnight.

This night belonged to Coco Gauff, in a tournament that has felt like hers from the beginning. She is ready, mentally and physically, to take the ultimate step on Saturday in front of an adoring American crowd. But she will face a mammoth task if she is to win a maiden Grand Slam title.

She will play the newly-crowned world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the showpiece event on Saturday.

If that undeniable feeling of stars aligning that has engulfed Flushing Meadows over the past two weeks is to be trusted, then the tennis world could be about to witness the crowing of a new queen of Queens when Coco Gauff takes centre stage once again in the US Open final.

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