Coco Gauff will take on Karolina Muchova in the 2023 US Open semi-final, and many expect her to win easily, but will she?
Will she or won't she is the question, and it's a good question. The American has been playing superb tennis for a while now, and she's currently on a 10-match winning streak, with the most recent win coming against Jelena Ostapenko.
That beatdown allowed Gauff to escape quickly, and she'll be pretty fresh for this matchup against Muchova. The Czech had no problems either, beating Sorana Cirstea in two sets. She's had a fantastic season so far with 38 wins this year, 28 of which came on hard courts.
The styles they play are somewhat different. Gauff plays a very attacking style as of recently, while Muchova employs shades of everything. She can attack, she can serve well, she can play defensively, and has plenty of variety.
Head-to-head:
That variety makes her dangerous for Gauff as it can mess up her rhythm. That didn't happen recently at the Cincinnati Masters, where Gauff bested Muchova in the final 6-3 6-4. It was a good match but demonstrated a notable flaw for Muchova, as she was pretty overwhelmed from the baseline.
She will need to find better solutions compared to that match because she can't come out with the same plan. It didn't work and likely won't work in the bigger stadium with a far more hostile crowd.
Prediction:
Expect Gauff to try and overwhelm Muchova from the baseline because that's what she's been doing to all of her opponents. The crowd behind her gives her more confidence, and it's pretty palpable.
Most of her matches have been quite electrifying, and not all players can handle it well. Muchova is capable of it but she'll need her best level. Somehow, I think she'll get it done this time around.
Prediction: Karolina Muchova to win in 3 sets.
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