Coco Gauff - Reuters
Coco Gauff reached the U.S. Open final by defeating Czech player Karolina Muchova. However, their match had a 49-minute delay because of a protester who glued his feet to the ground.
Gauff’s Path to Victory
Gauff, who is 19 years old, won against the 10th seed Muchova with scores of 6-4 and 7-5. In the final on Saturday, Gauff, seeded sixth, will face Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, who is the second seed.
Sabalenka had a tough match against American Madison Keys, winning 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5) in a late semifinal that ended just before 1 a.m. on Friday. Before this match, Sabalenka had been on a winning streak, having won all of her five previous matches.
Gauff, competing in her second major final, aims to put an end to the United States’ longest Grand Slam singles title drought. This drought has persisted since Sofia Kenin’s victory at the 2020 Australian Open, which marked the last major before the COVID-19 pandemic halted sporting events.
Gauff vs. Muchova Match Details
The Gauff-Muchova match faced a 49-minute delay after the first game of the second set. Three protesters disrupted the match, wearing T-shirts that read “End Fossil Fuels.” One of them glued their feet to the ground, causing the long delay and players leaving the court.
Gauff commented on the protest, saying, “I didn’t think it was going to be in the semifinal. … I just treated it like a rain delay.”
Before the delay, both players struggled in the first set. Gauff went up 5-1 but then got broken twice before eventually winning the set. Gauff had four winners and 12 unforced errors in the first set. Muchova had three winners and 17 unforced errors.
After the delay, Gauff broke Muchova to go up 5-3 in the second set but then had trouble serving for the match. She finally won on her sixth match point after a 40-shot rally.
Gauff is the youngest player to reach a second Grand Slam singles final since Maria Sharapova in 2006. She’s also the youngest American to make two major finals since Andrea Jaeger in 1983.
Muchova’s Journey and Challenges
Muchova, who is 27, had a great year despite a tough 2022 due to injuries. She was the French Open runner-up and recently faced Gauff in the final of the last major tournament before the U.S. Open, where she lost.
What’s Ahead in the U.S. Open Men’s Semifinals
The U.S. Open continues with the men’s semifinals featuring Novak Djokovic vs. Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz vs. Daniil Medvedev.
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