WHAT HAPPENED: Karolina Muchova moves on to the 2024 US Open quarterfinals after the world No. 52 upended the No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, on Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Going into the match, Muchova was nervous, at least, that’s what she revealed after her match. But throughout the game, she was the epitome of confidence, staying cool and looking relaxed while dominating the joyful Italian in a straight-sets win with sharp shot making and strategic angles in the pair’s fourth meeting.
Paolini opened the match by taking the first game, and it seemed as if Muchova wasn’t going to make it hard for Paolini to reach her third consecutive quarterfinal at a major.
But at 3-all on deuce, Paolini dished two backhand errors to give Muchova the critical break and momentum, which she quickly ran with to notch the next three games. On the first set point, Muchova fired a forehand just out of Paolini’s reach to close the set.
Paolini’s game didn’t dim, and the packed crowd in Louis Armstrong Stadium was privy to some delightful shots from the Italian. In the second set, as Muchova stormed the net, Paolini sailed a lob crosscourt over the Czech’s head to the delight of the crowd.
In that set, Muchova broke Paolini at 2-3, and easily secured the next four games, winning 92% on first serve and scoring nine winners en route to victory in an hour and nine minutes.
“Very happy to win again in two sets,” Muchova said after the match. “I think it was a very tricky, tough match. I was actually a little bit nervous today.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Last September after her semifinal run in Queens and overall breakout year on the tour, Muchova finally moved into the Top 10 in rankings. But her top spot was quickly compromised, after the Czech had to take nine months off tour, getting surgery for a wrist injury and subsequent rehab.
Muchova only returned to the tour in June, and the US Open is only her second hard court tournament since her return, and sixth tournament overall since she’s been back.
But her results in Queens have proven that despite the time off, Muchova is showing in top form, and for a second year in a row, Muchova moves into the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows. In the quarterfinals she will face either Caroline Wozniacki, who she has never played, or Beatriz Haddad Maia, a player she has not lost to in all three of their meetings.
Muchova’s victory over the No. 5 player put a final period on Paolini’s year of unbelievable Grand Slam runs.
Since Paolini turned pro in 2013, she has had a steady, but unhurriedly, ascent up the rankings, and closed 2023 out as the world No. 30. Before 2024, Paolini hadn’t seen a third round at a major. This year, she made unexpected final runs in both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
“I think I'm really happy that finally I went past two rounds in a Grand Slam,” Paolini said after her loss on Monday. “And this year went really good.
MATCH POINT: Muchova out mastered Paolini throughout their two-set spar, and clocked 17 winners to the Italian’s 10.
