MELBOURNE, Australia

Third-seeded Coco Gauff managed to edge out Karolina Muchova in a nail-biting three-set match, winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on Sunday. This victory sees her through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and it also marks her fifth consecutive win against the Czech player.

This outcome is promising for Gauff, who has consistently triumphed in tournaments where she’s faced Muchova, including her win at the 2023 US Open.

“I didn’t feel panicked today. The second set felt easy for me,” Gauff commented. “I realized I had to seize the moment in the third set, and I did just that.”

The match began with Gauff dominating, jumping to a 5-0 lead in the first set within a mere 20 minutes. However, the dynamic shifted dramatically in the second set as Muchova became more aggressive, breaking Gauff’s serve twice to take a 4-1 lead.

Finally, Muchova capitalized when she had the chance to serve for the set, winning it against Gauff for the first time in their five encounters.

In the decider, Gauff—keeping an eye on her player box—found her rhythm again, racing ahead to 4-1 as Muchova faced increasing errors. A particularly intense seventh game had both players scrambling, with shifts in momentum until Gauff clinched the moment with a backhand winner that sent her to victory.

Despite Muchova saving three match points, Gauff secured her spot in the quarterfinals.

“She’s very versatile,” Gauff remarked. “You really can’t predict what she’ll do next.” She added, “Trusting my second serve in that last game felt crucial. I think this is a positive step for me, especially in those long rallies.”