Roland-Garros 2023 – Karolina Muchova goes to the final after a sublime fight against Aryna Sabalenka

The fairy tale continues for Karolina Muchova. 149 in the world at the start of the year, the Czech qualified for her first Grand Slam final by defeating Aryna Sabalenka (7-6, 6-7, 7-5) after a particularly indecisive semi-final from 3:13 a.m. The Czech came back from a long way in this third round before winning the last five games. She will compete for the title on Saturday against the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, or Beatriz Haddad Maia.

From the start of the match, Karolina Muchova was inspired and considerably hampered the world number two with her backhand slices or her drop shots often played in the right timing. If the Belarusian had the first opportunity to take the opposing serve in the fourth game of the match, it was Muchova who took the lead at 4-4. It was without counting the immediate reaction of the native of Minsk who pressed on the accelerator to return to height.

Best start for Muchova

Badly returned to the decisive game, Sabalenka lost her first set of the fortnight on a long backhand winning line from Muchova (7-6). In 1h12, the Czech took the lead. Faced with a Sabalenka who was hardly accusing the blow, she again made the break at the start of the second set. We thought she was then launched towards a quiet victory. Again, Sabalenka showed resilience to once again come back up to level before in turn counting a break ahead.

Like her opponent, Sabalenka was unable to confirm it and it was after a new tie-break that the two players were to decide. In that game, the Belarusian was the strongest to equalize on a final smash (7-6, 60 minutes). Well helped by her incredible striking power, Sabalenka saved a badly embarked service game at 2-2 during which she was trailing 0/30 before making the break on the next game.

Sabalenka’s terrible crack

A break confirmed thanks, in particular, to a sensational point of 15 strikes where the two players went blow for blow before Sabalenka placed a winning short crossed backhand. At 5/2 in his favor, we did not see what could deprive the Belarusian of a second consecutive Grand Slam final. But she was unable to convert a match point, well dismissed by Muchova with a winning uncrossed forehand, before losing the last five games of this heartbreaking semi-final for her.

It is in these moments of tension that her power can turn against her, like her 6 double faults, two of which are consecutive at 5/5 40-15 and 53 unforced errors (27 for Muchova). In a career similar to that of her compatriot Barbora Krejcikova in 2021, Karolina Muchova will play the Roland-Garros final on Saturday against Iga Swiatek or Beatriz Haddad Maia. For the same conclusion as Krejcikova?