​LONDON (AP) — Karolina Muchova sidelined Coco Gauff’s Wimbledon bid with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (10) victory that culminated in a tense, drama-filled tiebreaker, propelling Muchova into the grass-court Grand Slam final as the fourth Czech woman in the last six years to reach this stage. This will be the ninth-ranked Muchova’s second appearance in a Grand Slam final, following her 2023 French Open championship match loss to Iga Swiatek.
Looking ahead, Muchova could meet another Czech in Saturday’s final when Linda Noskova takes on Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the other semifinal on Centre Court. The Czech contingent at Wimbledon has grown notable in recent years, with Karolina Pliskova finishing as runner-up in 2021, Marketa Vondrousova winning the title in 2023, and Barbora Krejcikova claiming the championship in 2024.
For Gauff, despite the loss, this remains her most successful Wimbledon run to date. The seventh-ranked American had previously advanced only to the fourth round on three occasions, including her breakout performance as a 15-year-old in 2019, underscoring the significance of her progress this year.
Friday’s men’s semifinals promise high drama as well, with top-ranked and defending champion Jannik Sinner facing seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, and French Open champion Alexander Zverev clashing with British wild card Arthur Fery.