MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 26 (UPI) — Coco Gauff injected frenetic pace into her first Miami Open semifinal appearance, leaping for brawny backhands while erasing space with quick hips and sizzling sprints in a straight-sets win Thursday over Karolina Muchova.

The top-ranked American (No. 4) dropped the first game on a broken serve, but proceeded to win the next 10 to wrestle back control for the 6-1, 6-1 triumph at Hard Rock Stadium.

“Super excited to be in the final at this tournament,” Gauff said in her on court interview. “The whole week I didn’t expect to be here, but just really happy.

“I have been trying to find the joy in the sport and I had fun.”

Gauff, who needed three sets to win each of her first four matches of the tournament, earned match point off her sixth converted break point, with Muchova netting her final forehand.

“I think today was a bit more straight forward, but this week has been a lot of long matches,” Gauff said. “Through the battle, I was having fun.

“It is nice to get through in two sets.”

The American saved seven of the eight break points she faced. She earned six break point chances on returns in the 90-minute match.

Gauff, who failed to advance past the Round of 16 over her previous six Miami Open runs, improved to 6-0 against the No. 14 Czech.

She will meet No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Sabalenka will face Rybakina in the second women’s semifinal Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium.