She kicked off her Stuttgart campaign with a straightforward win over Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday but struggled early with her range against Muchova, striking a worrying 16 forehand unforced errors through the first set.
Without a first-round bye, Muchova was playing her third match of the week after weathering a three-setter against Elise Mertens in the Round of 16. The former Roland Garros finalist has also enjoyed strong results in 2026, winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in February.
With the first set in hand, Muchova appeared poised for a shocking end to her Gauff losing streak, but the American showed her trademark tenacity to serve out the second set and force a third.
Muchova buckled down from there, claiming the crucial break of serve in the sixth game and saved three break points to consolidate, ultimately serving out the win to 15.
Awaiting her in the final four is another player with Muchova is yet to beat in Elina Svitolina. The No. 4 seed, Svitolina steeled past Linda Noskova in two close sets to kick off her clay-court swing with a run to the Stuttgart semis. Svitolina’s most recent meeting with Muchova came last year at the Miami Open, where Svitolina won in three sets.
