8th September, 2023
American Coco Gauff beat Czech Karolina Muchova 6-4 7-5 to reach her second Grand Slam final and the first at U.S. Open.
Gauff, who had beaten Muchova in the Cincinnati final last month to claim the biggest title of her career, fed off the energy of the home crowd to get past the Czech once again.
“Some of those points, it was so loud and I don’t know if my ears are going to be okay,” Gauff said. “I grew up watching this tournament so much so it means a lot to me to be in the final. A lot to celebrate but the job is not done.”
Gauff, the sixth seed, will next face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who survived a first set bagel to beat American Madison Keys 0-6 7-6 7-6.
Gauff’s match against Muchova was delayed by roughly 50 minutes early in the second set due to a protest by four environmental activists.
The USTA said three of the four were escorted out of the stadium without incident but a fourth “affixed their bare feet to the floor of the seating bowl”.
Gauff swept the first three games of the opening set and broke her opponent again in the sixth.
Muchova, this year’s Roland Garros runner-up, capitalized on some mistakes by the 19-year-old and broke straight back in the seventh, raising her level from there to break Gauff again in the ninth.
The Czech’s good work went to waste, however, as she committed a trio of unforced errors in the 10th game, allowing Gauff to break to love and take the set.
After a routine hold by Gauff to open the second set, shouts were heard from high up in the stands and both players sat on their benches as security staff members quickly moved to quell the disruption.
As the delay stretched on both players left the court as police officers surrounded the remaining protester before removing him from the venue with his hands behind his back.
After the players returned they warmed up again on court before resuming play, neither appearing rattled by the incident.
Muchova double-faulted to help Gauff break in the eighth game but saved match point in the next game before breaking the American’s serve to keep the match going.
Muchova saved four more match points in the 12th game but Gauff would not be denied, surviving a 40-shot rally on the penultimate point with a forehand winner before cheering with delight as her opponent sent a backhand past the baseline on the sixth match point.
Muchova gave credit to her opponent but told reporters that she was disappointed in the quality of her own play on Thursday.
“I was not feeling it from the start until the end,” she said. “I’m pretty sad about the outcome, that I didn’t put the best out of me on the court. Yeah, just kind of sad about the performance.”