Karolina Muchova started well with aggression and variety in good measure, weathered an inspired storm before saving match point down 5-2 during a tense deciding set en route to securing her first Major final with a three-set win in three hours 13 minutes against Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Muchova executes well under pressure, outlasts Sabalenka
Muchova bt. Sabalenka [2] 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 7-5
- 26-year-old Czech rises to a new career-high world #16 with this victory, having begun the tournament a few spots outside the 32 seeded positions
- Having saved match point, she’ll now play defending champion Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s final after world no. 1 fends off a spirited showing to prevail 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) vs. Brazilian record-breaker Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Sabalenka hit consecutive double-faults, from 40-15 up, to give Muchova an opportunity to break her again at 5-5 in final set – and so it proved
So much of this story will centre around Aryna Sabalenka, and how she lost this match having been in touching distance of a second consecutive Major final.
Yet two things can be true at once.
It’d be disingenuous to ignore or diminish the size of this achievement for Karolina Muchova, whose relentless motor and shot versatility forced the world no. 2 into a series of positions she wasn’t comfortable with. As pressure mounted, it showed.
After witnessing an attack of the slice shots early by both, Muchova dictated rallies with her variety as things were still finely poised at the midway point of set one.
A double-fault and miscued volley gave Muchova a half-chance at breaking the Belarusian’s serve in the seventh game and while Sabalenka ultimately secured a strong hold, there was a sense of foreshadowing that would later repeat itself.
Muchova did the same in her next service game, fighting back from 30-0 down with some timely aggression and well-executed winners leaving Sabalenka back behind the baseline.
The consistency of her hitting, continually making the world no. 2 play an extra ball or three during their rally exchanges was evident and would soon pay off.
They executed breaks as the scoreline read 5-5, 32 total points won by both at this stage, and Sabalenka’s crushing passing shots were merely enticing the Czech to double down with her assertive nature.
The 26-year-old’s drop shot winner – one of many – and a netted volley forced a tiebreaker, allowing the 2021 Australian Open semifinalist to counterpunch well and turn points on their head with one shot, from defence to attack.
Sabalenka recovered from a 3-0 deficit to briefly lead 5-4, before two forehand errors on rally balls gifted Muchova set point.
A two-handed backhand winner up-the-line sealed it in just shy of 70 minutes, during an exciting and closely-contested set where the more clinical player profited.
Unsurprisingly then, set two followed the same pattern as the first.
Sabalenka broke first to lead 4-3 despite making more errors, as her forehand forced Muchova repeatedly out wide and she was able to better construct points by directing shots in either direction.
Muchova’s slice and variety helped her secure the break back in what was a loose service game for the Belarusian, undoing all that good work.
12-2 Sabalenka read the unforced error count at 4-4, 30-0 and Muchova had just two less winners (25-23) at that stage too, as the Australian Open champion showed her mental resolve to prolong the set – and her tournament – from a slender deficit, first 5-4 then later 6-5 down.
Into another breaker they went and this time, Sabalenka didn’t repeat her early misteps and instead took a 4-2 advantage into the changeover.
Despite more cheap errors and a double-fault on her first set point, she ultimately edged the tiebreak by the very same scoreline to send it into a decider.
Before a deciding set of two halves
An enthralling rally at 30-30, 4-2 Sabalenka rather encapsulated how this match had intensified: Muchova’s engine was undeniable, yet Sabalenka continued to power her way through with persistence.
A timely ace out wide gave the second seed a 5-2 advantage, and surely it was only a matter of time before she was saluting the crowd and exhaling after another hard-fought battle.
Well, not quite. Muchova served well enough, then saved match point with a forehand winner that Sabalenka couldn’t answer, holding for 5-3.
She turned the match on its head by producing a return ace up-the-line on the very first point behind the Belarusian’s serve, again this wasn’t the first time either.
The backhand slice that worked like a treat failed Muchova, briefly, before Sabalenka’s errant forehand made a return in subsequent points to present her with a surprise service break.
A 13-2 point swing in Muchova’s favour saw her level at 5-5 and well, things got ugly from there for a Major champion who less than half-an-hour earlier had match point.
Consecutive double-faults, from 40-15 up, gave Muchova a half-chance to break again.
The graphic popped up showing she was 4/4 on break point chances, and after a backhand unforced error as well as a framed forehand, Muchova’s straightforward winner saw her break the Belarusian for the final time.
Some easy points on serve, coupled with more errors, gave Muchova a remarkable victory as she won five consecutive games to seal it.
Sabalenka took heart from her progress on clay after a crushing loss in the post-match press conference, and while that won’t truly soften the blow of another match she should’ve won, Muchova wrestled away control in a way most others wouldn’t.
It’s been a long time coming, but she’s a deserving first-time finalist and will hope she didn’t peak here as the weekend beckons against the world no. 1 next.
Picture source: Getty Images
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