Weirdly, this was still another match to show why you should never count out Coco Gauff. After what we had seen at this Wimbledon, no one doubted there would be a response, even as her forehand deserted her and Karolina Muchova won the first set of their semi-final 6-2 in 39 minutes. No one was surprised when Gauff fired back and eventually converted her ninth break point to lead the second set, forcing a deciding set for a fifth match in a row. It still felt as if Gauff had lives to spare as she battled through a series of tight service games to get through to the final-set tiebreak, and it felt like she still had hope as Muchova played an inspired series of points to close in on the final.
The diving Muchova volley, really, should have been the point that this match tiebreak – high quality in the front half, packed with nerves in the second, but epic throughout – should be remembered for. Pushed deep into her forehand corner, Gauff looked to pull off the pass crosscourt. Muchova, who had spent the set holding her side due to a stitch, looked to be beaten, only to spring to her right and land the ball softly inside the service box. The racket fell from Muchova’s hand, but she rose and on the next point fired the ace to lead 6-3. When Gauff double-faulted to go down 8-7, the 22-year-old American’s journey of survival at Wimbledon appeared to have finally run out of road.
