MELBOURNE, Australia — In a gripping showdown at the Australian Open, Coco Gauff, the tournament’s third seed, demonstrated her resilience by defeating Karolina Muchova in a tense three-set match. Gauff’s 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory on Sunday was her fifth consecutive win against the Czech player, propelling her into the quarterfinals.

This triumph adds to Gauff’s impressive track record, as she has emerged victorious in every tournament where she has bested Muchova, including the 2023 U.S. Open. Her performance in Melbourne seems to be setting the stage for another potential title run.

“Today, I kept my composure,” Gauff reflected. “The second set was closely contested, and I knew I had to seize my opportunities in the third set, which I managed to do.”

The match at Melbourne Park began with Gauff in commanding form, as she raced to a 5-0 lead in a mere 20 minutes, showcasing her dominance. However, Muchova, who had previously claimed victories over two top 10 players in Brisbane, demonstrated her fighting spirit by getting on the scoreboard in the sixth game. Despite her efforts, the first set slipped away as Gauff finished it with remarkable precision.

Muchova, who arrived with two top-10 wins under her belt in Brisbane, did not get on the board until the sixth game and by then the opening set had already slipped away as Gauff closed it with clinical efficiency.

The tide turned in the second set, however, with Muchova breaking twice to establish a 4-1 lead as Gauff struggled with her serve and made double faults.

When the chance to ​serve for the set arrived Muchova ⁠did not waste it, serving to love to claim a ‌set over Gauff for the first time in ​five meetings.

Gauff, who constantly looked to ‌the players’ box in the second set, came out swinging in the decider, forcing more errors from Muchova to go up 4-1.

A thrilling seventh game had both players scrambling in long rallies as ‌the momentum shifted back and forth until Gauff fired a backhand winner and screamed in triumph.

Muchova saved three match ⁠points before Gauff sealed progress to the last eight.

“She plays with so much variety,” Gauff said. “You never know what ‌you’re going to do.

“In that last game I was trusting my second serve, which I feel like is ‌a stepping stone in ‍the right direction to be able to hit as many second serves in the court that ⁠I did, especially in the two games that were long holds.”