New York (AFP) – Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic reached the US Open semi-finals for a second successive year on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. World number 52 Muchova triumphed 6-1, 6-4 and will face either world number one and 2022 champion Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula of the United States for a place in Saturday’s final.
Her win came despite having to sprint to the bathroom after edging ahead 2-1 in the second set, a dash which caught everyone on the hop. “It was weird. I had a problem that I wouldn’t like to comment on,” said the 28-year-old. “Sorry if I disturbed anybody but I really didn’t have any other choice.”
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Muchova has yet to drop a set at the tournament, having knocked out two-time champion Naomi Osaka and French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini on the way to her fourth Grand Slam semi-final. Muchova suffered a serious wrist injury following her run to the semi-finals in New York last year, which kept her off the tour until June.
On Wednesday, she saved two break points in the opening game against 22nd seed Haddad Maia before sweeping into a comprehensive 5-0 lead. Despite handing back a break in the sixth game of the second set, she immediately recovered to lead 4-3. Haddad Maia, the first Brazilian woman to make the quarter-finals in New York since Maria Bueno in 1968, called for the trainer after feeling ill at 3-5 down. She won one more game before Muchova served out for victory.
Muchova has won one of her three matches against Swiatek and lost to the Pole in the 2023 French Open final. She was defeated by Pegula on the eve of this year’s US Open in Cincinnati. “I’m happy to be in the semi-finals because I wouldn’t have thought that before the tournament,” said the Czech. “It will be tough and exciting.”
© 2024 AFP
