Karolina Muchova, 26, overcame Aryna Sabalenka after more than three hours of duel. In the Roland-Garros final on Saturday, she will face either world number 1 Iga Swiatek or the unexpected Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (14th), opposed in the second semi-final. Muchova, a first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist at the Australian Open in 2021, had never passed the third round on Parisian clay before the 2023 edition.
Sabalenka served to win the match
After two highly contested first sets and concluded in the decisive game, the first in favor of Muchova, the second of Sabalenka, the world number 2 widened the gap 5 games to 2 in the third set and even got closer to one. point of victory, when she led 30-40 on the serve of her Czech opponent in the next game. But Muchova dismissed that match point with a forehand winner, came back at 5-3, broke when Sabalenka served to win the match, and equalized at 5-5. Then, taking advantage in particular of two consecutive double faults from the powerful Belarusian, she seized her commitment once again and did not tremble when it came to concluding.
“I don’t really know what happened!”
“I don’t really know what happened!” Muchova was still surprised a few moments after her victory. “I just kept fighting and it worked!”. Between the power of Sabalenka and the variations and incursions at the net of Muchova, the first semi-final of the women’s table offered a remarkable opposition of styles. Falling from world number 8 Maria Sakkari in the first round, the Czech is already assured of a place in the top 20 on Monday.
Even eliminated, Sabalenka still has a chance of becoming world number 1 at the end of the Paris fortnight, if Swiatek, outgoing champion, does not qualify for the final later in the day.