Gauff rallies to reach fourth straight Australian Open Round of 16 as Muchova awaits

There’s nothing Coco Gauff enjoys more than winning a good old-fashioned, grind-it-out match. So, it was no surprise that in a rare WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz meeting with Hailey Baptiste, she treated her friend to the (should-be) patented Coco Gauff experience.

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So after fans at Margaret Court Arena watched Daniil Medvedev pull off an epic comeback from two sets down earlier Friday afternoon, they were treated to another match that went the distance on the women’s side, as Gauff rallied from a set down to defeat her fellow American 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

The victory, her 77th Grand Slam match win, came in her 100th Grand Slam match.

“We’re both trying to win and we understand that,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “Obviously we know each other’s games, but we honestly don’t really practice or play that much. 

“I’ve seen her play a million times, but it’s always different when you’re stepping on the court. And she plays so differently than any other player on tour, so I was just trying to be my best and adjust.”

Gauff then used the moment to call out a heckler and defend her friend.

“I have one more thing to say,” she said. “Hailey’s a great competitor. So, to the guy who made that comment, we’re all doing our best out here. A lot of people believe in her. I understand you’re trying to root for me, but let’s be respectful. We’re all trying our best.”

Gauff is the ninth player in the Open Era to appear in their 100th women’s singles Grand Slam main-draw match before turning 22, joining elite company:

• Mary Joe Fernandez
• Steffi Graf
• Martina Hingis
• Gabriela Sabatini
• Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
• Maria Sharapova
• Serena Williams
• Venus Williams

Only Venus Williams (85) and Iga Swiatek (83) have more wins in their first 100 Grand Slam matches among active players, while Aryna Sabalenka also had 77 when reaching this milestone.

But Gauff’s latest win didn’t come without a bit of trial, and perhaps a few errors, along the way.

She dropped the first set in convincing fashion, despite breaking Baptiste in the opening game. The set unraveled quickly from there: she was broken right back, finished with zero winners to 11 unforced errors and struggled to land first serves -- a problem compounded by her difficulty winning points behind her second serve.

After a put away smash by Baptiste sealed the set, the 21-year-old hit the reset button.

She left the court and returned a different player. Noticeably, her serve improved across the board and she didn’t face a break point in the second set.

“On the serve, I was just trying to be aggressive with my placement and not be too passive,” Gauff said. “There were some moments where maybe I was a bit too passive, so honestly, I’m out there trying to figure out that balance along with everybody else.”

Gauff became more persistent on return as well. She broke for a 4-0 lead in a gritty 14-minute game that featured seven deuces. Despite being pushed onto her back foot for much of it, a defensive dig followed by a Baptiste error earned her the break.

She then finished off the bagel to force a decider, the 11th 6-0 set of her Grand Slam career. Only Swiatek (32) has more since Gauff’s debut in 2019, while Sabalenka is level with her at 11.

In the decider, Gauff and Baptiste traded holds through five games before Gauff broke for 4-2. As she had throughout the last two sets, she leaned on her forehand to carry her across the finish line and into the Round of 16.

There, she’ll face Karolina Muchova, whom she praised after the match.

“I always say she’s one of the best players on tour and deserves way more wins than she has, just with injuries and everything,” Gauff said. “It’s going to be a tough one. It’s never easy with her, but I’m happy with today and I look forward to her tomorrow.”

Gauff has played Muchova four times and has, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, won all four in straight sets, most recently at the United Cup last year.

If Muchova is going to turn the head-to-head around, she appears as primed as ever. She reached the Round of 16 with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Magda Linette in 63 minutes, winning 19 of 21 first-serve points (90%) and 10 of 17 second-serve points.

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals. For Gauff, it would mark a third straight trip, while for Muchova, it would be her first appearance in the final eight in Melbourne since 2021.