Karolína Muchová rested for a week after her successful run in Beijing and is feeding the eyes of tennis fans again. At the next Chinese stage in the city of Ning-po, she started with a difficult but well-managed battle against the Australian Olivia Gadecka. Similar to the US Open, she got excited with a backhand shot and now she is facing an opponent who should have been at home a long time ago.
The semi-finalist of the last two years of the US Open can use many excuses in Ning-po and secure another important shift in the world rankings, where she currently ranks 29th.
She beat the qualifier Gadecka on Wednesday after sets 6:3, 7:5.
“Olivia was a tough opponent. She took a lot of strength out of me, especially in the last game. But I’m satisfied with how I played and that I advanced to the second round,” declared Muchová.
In the mentioned final game of the long-distance match, the favored Czech turned away seven game balls from her opponent, and used the second match point herself.
In the final game, she also flashed a backhand shot, she became famous for a similar trick at the start of this year’s US Open, then she even won the entire exchange, but not this time. “This is absolutely crazy,” the commentator laughed at the skill of the Czech player.
“I had two physically and mentally demanding weeks and I needed to recharge my batteries. But I think I’m ready again now,” smiled the 28-year-old native of Olomouc.
At the tournament in Ning-po, she will logically be one of the biggest favorites. There was an unusual situation, an unprecedented number of players who had already lost in the qualification slipped into the main competition due to numerous excuses.
Their final tally stopped at number 7.
It led to a bizarre result, the first three seeded players are suddenly missing in the spider: the Italian Jasmine Paolini, the domestic Cheng Qinwen and the American Emma Navarro.
The highest seed is the tournament four Barbora Krejčíková.
It was Muchová who was supposed to challenge the Chinese superstar Cheng in the second round as part of a hit that would interest the entire tennis planet. Instead, she will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristianova.
At the same time, the 26-year-old player already lost the first round of qualification four days ago, but instead of flying home, she prudently waited and became one of the seven “lucky losers”.
In addition, she advanced straight to the round of 16, as the first four seeded tennis players, including Cheng, had a free draw in the opening round. Therefore, instead of the original earnings of $3,380, Cristianová will earn at least $14,000 without work.
“Crazy business in Ning-po, especially for Cristian. It’s good news for her, of course, but the bad news? She’s playing with Mucha,” tennis journalist José Morgado commented on the fascinating development.
Muchová will be the clear favorite in Thursday’s round of 16.
She defeated Cristiano in both of their previous duels, in 2019 on the ITF circuit 6:4, 6:1 and two weeks ago during the trip to the final in Beijing 6:1, 6:3.
You might be interested: Mucha’s miraculous shot at the US Open:
Karolina Muchová’s phenomenal shot at the US Open. | Video: Associated Press
