WHAT HAPPENED: On the heels of her convincing win over Naomi Osaka, Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic took another positive step forward on her road to recovery from a serious wrist injury, soundly defeating Anastasia Potapova, 6-4, 6-2, to advance to Round 4 of the 2024 US Open.
The former world No. 8, who last year was a semifinalist at the US Open and a finalist at Roland Garros, was sidelined for nine months following surgery on her right-wrist tendon. But so far, she has demonstrated that she is in excellent form and looking to return to previous heights.
According to the rankings, this was an upset—Potapova is No. 38, while Muchova has fallen out of the Top 50—but the Czech player proved herself the vastly more accomplished of the two. Muchova showed off her versatile, all-court game, frequently venturing forward to knock off volleys and keep Potapova guessing and unsure how to respond.
In a match that began in a light drizzle, Muchova rained down winners from all parts of the court. In the opening set, serving at 5-4, Muchova served-and-volleyed on three successive points. To arrive at set point, she hit a spectacular outstretched backhand stab volley while doing the splits for a winner.
In the second stanza, Muchova kept up the pressure on Potapova, who began to press and misfire (she would finish with 29 unforced errors). Muchova broke serve early and strolled to a commanding 5-1 lead. At one point, racing side-to-side along the baseline, Muchova sprinted to her right, lunging outside the doubles alley, and just got her racquet on the outside of the ball, whipping a dipping topspin crosscourt passing shot past a helpless Potapova, who stood frozen at net.
Not only did Muchova serve out the match at love, she did it in inimitable style: with a sliced, short forehand winner a la Roger Federer.
WHAT IT MEANS: Muchova is back where she belongs, playing top-level tennis, and back into the fourth round at a major. She holds a winning percentage of 69% (65-29) at majors and WTA 1000 events since the start of 2020.
If her injuries are behind her, as appears to be the case, Muchova is a serious threat to go deep in the tournament, as she did last year. She next faces No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, but Muchova owns a 3-0 head-to-head over the Italian, including two victories on hard court. And Muchova’s section of the draw is very favorable; it is the quadrant from which major winner and No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina withdrew.
Potapova, 23, was bidding to reach her first major Round of 16.
MATCH POINT: Muchova has now reached the fourth round at a major seven time—it is her third at the US Open.
