French Open tennis tournament, June 6, 2023, Paris. Czech tennis player Karolína Muchová.
Paris – She watched as the last ball from her opponent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's racket fell into the car, and at that moment Karolína Muchová smiled with relief. Although the Czech tennis player did not show much emotion after winning 7:5, 6:2 and advancing to the semi-finals of Roland Garros, inside she was enjoying her best result in Paris so far. She told the journalists that she is happy with how she is handling difficult moments from a psychological point of view, and she is also confident in the fight for the final with the Belarusian and world number two Aryna Sabalenkova.
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Photo gallery: French Open 2023 tennis tournament
“I'm really happy about it. I don't care. It's a great result for me and I really appreciate it. I'm just still in the tournament, so I'm trying to focus on the next match. That's probably why I look so calm,” Muchová explained. “After the match point, I was glad that it was over. I had a match point before, but she (Pavlyuchenkova) started to go quite relaxed from 5:1 to the shots, so I was glad for the second match point. When the match ended, it fell off me ,” she added.
The 26-year-old native of Olomouc praised the beginnings of both sets, in which she managed to get a break each time. But she also managed endings. For the fourth time in five matches at Roland Garros, she did not lose a set, broke her Paris record for the third time this year and equaled the best Grand Slam result so far, which was the semifinals of the Australian Open 2021.
“I have already been to the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam, so I wanted keep going. I knew that the opponent was playable, so I tried to focus on myself. So far, I'm managing to finish the matches responsibly here. I manage it quite well with my head,” praised the player of 1. ČLTK Prague.
She enjoyed the process all the more because she played her first match on Philippe Chatrier's main court. Her parents were also present in the audience. “The stadium is huge and beautiful. I'm glad I finally got to see it because I've never played there before. And even though I thought there weren't many people at the match, when they start clapping, it carries through the stadium and you feel it, ” described Muchová.
The 43rd player in the world is now certain that she will move significantly higher in the rankings. She is currently ranked 19th in the “live” rankings. “I'm happy for that, because at the end of last year I was around 200. It will definitely help me to be seeded at the tournament and get to the best. But the sky is the limit. I don't think about whether I can become world number one or five. I take it's one step at a time and I'm glad to be here now. I'm going to try to push my limits. Who knows where I'm at,” she said.
She wished that she would stay healthy in the next period. Losing only one set in the tournament saved a lot of energy. “Back then in Australia (2021), I entered the semi-finals with a torn abdominal muscle. Now it's incomparable. I feel much better,” she said. “However, recovery is key. I played first in the order today, so I'll have the whole evening off. I'll take care of my body, get a good night's sleep, and if something gets stiff, I'll have all of Wednesday to deal with it,” she noted.
< p>On Thursday, she will compete for the first Grand Slam final with this year's Australian Open winner Sabalenko. The Belarusian defeated Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, still not dropping a set at Roland Garros and improving her match record this year to 34 wins against five losses. Muchová has faced her only once – four years ago she lost in the semi-finals of the tournament on a hard surface in Zhuhai 5:7 and 6:7.
“I will prepare for the match like any other. She is great player, world number two. It will definitely be the toughest match I've played here so far. I can expect it to be played quickly, she's going to shoot it. We'll try to find a way to grow up to her. I'll definitely go into it knowing that I want to to win,” Muchová added.
