Muchova edges Mboko at Miami Open, to face Gauff in semis
Published: 04:03 PM,Mar 25,2026 | EDITED : 08:03 PM,Mar 25,2026
MIAMI: Karolina Muchova needed all of her experience to hold off rising Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 7-5, 7-6(5) on Tuesday, booking a place in her first Miami Open semifinal after a match she admitted could have gone either way.
The 29-year-old Czech secured her fifth WTA 1000 semifinal berth in a hard-fought contest that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
'It was very close, basically one point at the end. It can always change in tennis. I'm just very grateful I was able to win the last point,' Muchova said.
The opening set was a tight affair, remaining on serve until 5-4 when Muchova found herself in trouble at 0-30 before reeling off four consecutive points to level at five games all.
She then capitalised on a shaky service game from world-number-nine Mboko to edge ahead, eventually converting on her third set point to take the opener.
The second set proved no easier, with both players holding serve all the way to a tiebreak. Muchova seized control with an early mini-break and kept her nerve to close out the match.
'She's an amazing player. Every time you play a top-10 player you go on the court and you don't know who's gonna win, who's gonna lose,' she added. 'I tried to stay focused and stay aggressive.'
The win extends Muchova's excellent run, having now reached the fourth round or better at all five tournaments she has played in 2026, including beating Mboko to claim the Doha title in February.
GAUFF OUTLASTS BENCIC
In Thursday's semifinal, Muchova will face Coco Gauff after the American battled past Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in three sets to take a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win.
With the win, world-number-four Gauff reached the semifinals in Miami for the first time in her career, after failing to make it past the fourth round in her previous six attempts.
'Belinda is a tough player. Every time we play, it’s a long match. It took a lot of running today, some falls, but I’m really proud of how I fought today. I think that’s been a theme of the week,' Gauff said.
'It felt like today, my opponent, she raised her level, and I was able to raise it in the third.'
The 22-year-old will fancy her chances against Muchova, having beaten the Czech in all five of their previous meetings.
SINNER IN QUARTERS
In the men's section, world number two Jannik Sinner fought back in the second set against American Alex Michelsen to seal a 7-5, 7-6(4) victory and reach the quarterfinals, extending his record run of consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events.
Sinner edged a tight opening set before facing a sterner test in the second, where he trailed 5-2 as Michelsen raised his level from the baseline.
The Italian fought back to force a tie-break, which he closed out to maintain his perfect record against the American and further stretch his unprecedented run of straight sets won at Masters 1000 level to 28.
'I felt like the serve helped me quite a lot today, especially in important moments and in the tiebreak, so I'm happy about that,' Sinner said in his on-court interview.
'I know that if I want to go far in this tournament, I have to improve from the back of the court. Tomorrow is a day off, which helps me and I will try to find good rhythm in the practice session. Then we'll see how things go.'
Sinner also reached his 20th Masters quarterfinal, while he kept alive his bid for a rare 'Sunshine Double' after lifting the title at Indian Wells earlier this month without dropping a set.
The 24-year-old could become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win both US hard court Masters events in the same season. — Reuters
ATP/WTA Miami Open results
Men (fourth round)
Martin Landaluce (ESP) bt Sebastian Korda (USA x32) 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4; Jiri Lehecka (CZE x21) bt Taylor Fritz (USA x6) 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2; Tommy Paul (USA x22) bt Tomas Etcheverry (ARG x29) 6-1, 6-3; Arthur Fils (FRA x28) bt Valentin Vacherot (MON x24) 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4; Francisco Cerundolo (ARG x18) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA x31) 6-4, 6-3; Alexander Zverev (GER x3) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1); Frances Tiafoe (USA x19) bt Terence Atmane (FRA) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Jannik Sinner (ITA x2) bt Alex Michelsen (USA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)
Women (quarterfinals)
Coco Gauff (USA x4) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI x12) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; Karolina Muchova (CZE x13) bt Victoria Mboko (CAN x10) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)