Karolina Muchova called Coco Gauff "a very good player from all the aspects" ahead of their US Open semifinal match. On Tuesday, world No 10 Muchova ousted Sorana Cirstea 6-0 6-3 to progress into her third Grand Slam semifinal.
There, Muchova will be taking on No 6 seed Gauff, who dismantled Jelena Ostapenko 6-0 6-2. “She’s very athletic. She never gives up. Runs for every ball. Doesn’t do many mistakes. So she has kind of all the strokes.
So very, very good player from all the aspects," Muchova said of Gauff.
Muchova and Gauff set to meet again this summer
Muchova, 27, and 19-year-old Gauff are set to meet for the second time.
Their first meeting came last month when they met in the final of a WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. In their first match, Muchova didn't do really well as Gauff claimed a 6-3 6-4 win. After failing just short of winning her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati, Muchova also made a deep US Open run.
After beating Cirstea, Muchova revealed she came to New York without putting many expectations on her. "I’m just trying to keep things actually pretty easy and don’t put much expectations on me. I’m pretty, I would say, a tough cookie in life as well.
That helps with tennis. Some days are better; some days not. But I always try to keep the clear mind and to be relaxed and enjoy the sport, just the basics," Muchova said. Earlier this year, Muchova made her first Grand Slam final after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open semifinal.
After beating Sabalenka, Muchova fell just short in the French Open final as Iga Swiatek handed her a three-set loss. Muchova has already been to a Grand Slam semifinal and won there so she should know how to approach the Gauff match at the US Open.