French Open
Outsider Karolina Muchova and defending champion Iga Swiatek are in the final of the French Open on Saturday. With a great fight, the Czech Muchova continued her successful run against the favored Arina Sabalenka from Belarus on Thursday and is in a Grand Slam final for the first time. World number one Swiatek can hope for her third title in Paris after beating Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in two sets.
The Polish title defender Swiatek did not lose another set after the 6:2 7:6 (9/7) against Haddad Maia in the clay court classic this year and also secured the top position in the world rankings by losing her pursuer Sabalenka. She goes into the final on Saturday as the favorite to win her third French Open title after 2022 and 2020.
“Of course the pressure is still high and it’s not easy. But I also have the feeling that I have more weapons on sand than on faster hard courts,” said Swiatek, who had fended off a set ball in the tie-break. She tries to use the self-confidence and the feeling that she feels comfortable on this surface to concentrate on her work.
Muchova “do not know what happened”
Muchova surprisingly won the semifinals against Australian Open winner Sabalenka (BLR/2). The 26-year-old unseeded Czech prevailed against the number two seeded Belarusian 7: 6 (7/5) 6: 7 (5/7) 7: 5 and is in a Grand Slam final for the first time in her career.
“I don’t know what happened there. The atmosphere was wonderful thanks to the people. I just kept fighting and I’m just happy,” said the world number 43. about their biggest win to date.
Muchova causes a sensation
Czech turns game
Muchova put up a lot of effort against Sabalenka’s powerful attacking game to win in 3:13 hours. She came back in the third set after being down 2-5. At 3:5 she fended off a match point and, thanks to a suddenly very faulty Sabalenka, pulled away with a break to 6:5. The 26-year-old then used the first of three match points at 40:0.
Muchova had previously never got past the third round at the French Open, and she was also in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open in 2021.
Australian Open winner Sabalenka meanwhile missed her first final appearance at the French Open. The debate over their position on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko had repeatedly led to controversy during the tournament. She gave a press conference (PK) after her last match and distanced herself from Lukashenko. Before that, she hadn’t given a PK for two matches.
