Warsaw-
Ever since the entry list came out, everyone was looking at a potential Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Muchova final in Warsaw. Especially as that would have been a rematch for the brilliant final these two played at Roland Garros less than two months ago. That isn’t happening though as the Czech lost to Rebecca Sramkova, missing four match points. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek continues to rip through the draw, eliminating Claire Liu.
Crazy comeback
Muchova took a brief medical timeout in the first game of the deciding set for an issue with her foot. That didn’t seem to bother her at all though and she soon had her strongest patch of play in the entire match, breaking for 5-1 with a masterpiece of a point that featured a huge forehand counter down-the-line and then a perfect dropshot/lob combo. She was on fire and it seemed like nothing can stop her.
But in an amazing turnaround, Rebecca Sramkova saved four match points in that very game (including a 15-40) and won the match 7-5 3-6 7-5. You’d think it was a choke from Muchova, but it was actually far from that. The Slovak just stopped missing and that’s while still playing very aggressively. Her power was tough to withstand, but she was also a nightmare to hit through. That fantastic patch of play gave Sramkova her second top-20 win.
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Three matches against Liu in 2023
Meanwhile, Swiatek played Claire Liu for the third time this season. She dropped just one game against the American in Indian Wells and four at Roland Garros. “I think this match was harder than the score says, but I’m happy with my performance. There were some longer rallies which is nice, because after switching surfaces from grass, this is something I have to get used to. I’m happy that I was solid and kept the intensity from the beginning to the end of the match” said the 21-year-old about her 6-2 6-2 win in Warsaw.
Last year, the Pole lost to Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals. By the time the tournament got to the final eight stage, it was perceived as the problem round for Swiatek and one that would potentially open her way up to the title. To an extent, her situation could be similar here. The only other seed left in the field is Linda Noskova and that’s who the World No. 1 will face on Friday. The up-and-coming Czech already owns two top-10 wins, although she’s probably not quite a Garcia-level threat.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
