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Tag: Muchova
Yastremska makes first final since 2022; Alexandrova tops Muchova in Linz
No. 5 seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine moved into her first WTA singles final in nearly three years with a 6-1, 6-4 semifinal victory over No. 8 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz on Saturday.
Yastremska will face No. 4 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in Sunday’s final at the WTA 500 indoor hard-court event. Alexandrova toppled No. 1 seed Karolina Muchova 6-0, 6-4 in just 1 hour and 13 minutes on Saturday, extending her dominant lead in their head-to-head to 4-1.
Linz: Scores | Draws | Order of play
Looking ahead to Sunday, Yastremska holds a narrow 3-2 head-to-head lead over Alexandrova. They have not squared off since 2022, where Alexandrova defeated Yastremska en route to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch title.
Dayana’s day: In the semifinals, Yastremska needed 1 hour and 48 minutes to notch her second Top 50 win in a row, having already beaten Maria Sakkari in Friday’s quarterfinals. Yastremska now holds a 2-0 record against Tauson.
“The process, and just trying to play ball by ball, that’s what brings me to the final,” Yastremska said afterwards. “Just the fighting spirit and trying to play with fun, with good vibes and good emotions.”
Yastremska will contest her first final since finishing runner-up to Zhang Shuai at another indoor hard-court event, Lyon, in March of 2022. Yastremska is aiming for her first title since triumphing on the clay of Strasbourg in 2019.
In the clash between three-time WTA titlists, Yastremska eased to the one-set lead by breaking Tauson twice in the opener. In the second set, a double fault by Tauson gave Yastremska the critical break for a 4-3 lead.
But the power-hitting clash was far from over as Yastremska had to get through one last test, firing pinpoint groundstrokes as she fended off five break points in a gritty hold for 5-3.
Tauson saved one match point on her own serve, but Yastremska successfully closed out the win one game later, wrapping up the match a perfect 9-for-9 on break points saved. Yastremska slammed 39 winners to Tauson’s 15 in the encounter.
Yastremska slid from No. 33 down to No. 72 in the PIF Rankings this week after losing many of her Australian Open semifinal points from last year, but the Ukrainian is potentially on the verge of bouncing right back up into the Top 50 after her big week in Linz.
Despite Saturday’s result, Tauson is still having a strong season. The Dane is 10-2 on the year, having started 2025 by winning the Auckland title. Tauson is the only player to defeat Madison Keys so far this year, having ousted the newest Grand Slam champion during her Auckland run.
Another Alexandrova final: Alexandrova is into her second straight Linz final, and third overall. The former Top 15 player finished as Linz runner-up in 2018 (lost to Camila Giorgi) and last year (lost to Jelena Ostapenko).
By continuing her head-to-head mastery over 19th-ranked Muchova, Alexandrova has again put herself one win away from her first Linz title. It would be her first title overall since she won her second straight ‘s-Hertogenbosch title in the summer of 2023.
Alexandrova breezed through Saturday’s first set, where she had eight winners to Muchova’s two. The Czech Muchova made things much closer in the second set, but she was never able to break the Alexandrova serve despite garnering four break points.
In the second set, Alexandrova took charge for good by breaking for 4-3 with a forehand crosscourt winner. Alexandrova wrapped up the match with a love hold, earning her first Top 20 win of this season and 31st Top 20 win overall.
“I really love playing indoors, and I think [this] court kind of suits my style of game,” said the now-three-time Linz finalist Alexandrova. “I enjoy my time playing here, so I’m always trying to stay as long as possible, and it’s working.”
Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska has made her first final since 2022, after a strong performance in the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament. Yastremska defeated Czech player Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals to advance to the championship match.In another exciting match, Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed victory over Czech player Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals. Alexandrova’s powerful play and aggressive style helped her secure a spot in the final.
The final showdown between Yastremska and Alexandrova promises to be a thrilling and competitive match. Tennis fans can expect to see some impressive shot-making and intense rallies as these two talented players battle it out for the title in Linz.
Tags:
Yastremska final 2022, Yastremska tennis final, Alexandrova Muchova Linz, Yastremska Linz final, Yastremska 2022 tournament, Alexandrova tennis win, Muchova Linz tournament.
#Yastremska #final #Alexandrova #tops #Muchova #Linz
Karolina Muchova makes her feelings known about facing Coco Gauff in United Cup SF
Karolina Muchova helped the Czech Republic defeat Italy 2-1 and secure a spot in the United Cup semifinals on Friday, December 3. Muchova defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 after Tomas Machac managed to get the better of Flavio Cobolli in straight sets.
Now, the 2023 French Open runner-up is staring at a clash with Coco Gauff, which won’t be as easy as the one against Paolini. While Muchova has been very good for a couple of years, she has struggled to remain consistent due to persistent injury issues.
The new season has started on a strong note for the Czech, but it promises to get a bit more complicated as the season progresses towards difficult matchups. In the post-match press conference, Karolina Muchova discussed the upcoming fixtures and addressed the role fatigue could play ahead of a difficult clash against Coco Gauff. Reflecting on her recent run of performances, Muchova said:
“I take it very positively,” Muchova said. “It’s so good, especially before Melbourne is going to come, to have these tough matches. I’m playing, I’d say, almost top-10 players. And as you mentioned, I didn’t play matches for two months or something like that, so it’s very important for me to play them, to play the best players, to see where is my game, where is their game, and then learn from even the wins and the loss, as well, and just try to get back to where I was playing end of last year and even better.”
To secure the final, the Czech Republic will have to face the United States on Saturday, December 4. Acknowledging USA as a ‘difficult opposition’, Karolina Muchova previewed the semifinal clash, maintaining that recovering in time was key.
“Really tough opponent” – Karolina Muchova on facing Coco Gauff in United Cup 2025 SF
While Karolina Muchova-led Czechia would be looking to secure a spot in the final, it won’t be an easy task given USA’s compelling run. Muchova, in particular, will have a tough job having to face Coco Gauff, one of the best players in the world.
Discussing their upcoming clash during the same post-match conference, Muchova said she wasn’t thinking too much about her match against Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, but admitted that getting past them wouldn’t be easy.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk for Tomas, but I’m not really thinking about tomorrow yet. Yeah, I guess we know it’s a really tough opponent. They are both amazing athletes. So I think for us, the most important is to recover as quick as possible and just get ready for tomorrow,” Muchova said.
If Muchova manages to defeat Gauff, it would be her first victory in the four occasions that the two have faced each other on tour. United States enter the semifinal on the back of a dominant 3-0 win against China on Wednesday, January 1.
Edited by Shirsh
Karolina Muchova makes her feelings known about facing Coco Gauff in United Cup SFIn a recent press conference, Karolina Muchova didn’t hold back when asked about her upcoming semifinal match against rising star Coco Gauff in the United Cup. The Czech player admitted that she was both excited and nervous to face the 17-year-old American sensation.
Muchova praised Gauff for her impressive performances and rapid rise in the tennis world, acknowledging that she would have to bring her A-game to compete with such a talented opponent. However, she also expressed confidence in her own abilities and stated that she was determined to give it her all on the court.
The match between Muchova and Gauff is highly anticipated by fans and tennis enthusiasts, as both players have shown great skill and determination throughout the tournament. It promises to be a thrilling and competitive showdown, with both players vying for a spot in the final.
Stay tuned for what is sure to be an exciting matchup between Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff in the United Cup semifinals. It’s sure to be a match you won’t want to miss!
Tags:
Karolina Muchova, Coco Gauff, United Cup, tennis, semifinals, rivalry, emotions, match preview, player reactions, sports news
#Karolina #Muchova #feelings #facing #Coco #Gauff #United #Cup
Swiatek holds off Muchova; Poland advances to United Cup quarterfinals
Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz clinched their country’s place atop Group B on Wednesday, defeating the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova and Tomas Machac 7-6(3), 6-3 to seal the critical tie 2-1 and book Poland into its third United Cup quarterfinals.
Poland will face Great Britain for a spot in the semifinals on Thursday.
United Cup: Scores | Draws | Order of Play
“Honestly I was sure they were going to play amazing tennis because they have always great teams in doubles and mixed doubles. They are kind of raised that way,” Swiatek said. “But I knew that we have the game to win it. For sure we were leading from the beginning.
“In the first set it got tight at the end, but I kind of felt that we were leading anyway so in the tie-break we just used that. In the end it seemed that we had everything under control.”
Both countries knew that they would move into the last eight of the mixed-teams competition with a win in the tie. But it was last year’s runners-up who found a way through the tie to top their group and advance.
Hurkacz delivered his duo’s 12th ace of the match to emerge victorious after one hour and 25 minutes. The Poles broke serve five times from 11 chances against the Czechs.
“Iga is just so solid and you really can count on her shots,” Hurkacz said.
The Czechs can still earn a spot in the quarterfinals by finishing as the best-placed second-placed country in Sydney. Machac, Muchova and the rest of their team will need to follow Wednesday evening’s Australia-Great Britain tie closely.
Earlier, World No.2 Swiatek notched a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 victory over Muchova to deliver her 10th career United Cup singles victory.
“Honestly, I love playing against Karolina because she always brings precision and intensity and a little bit of a different game than most of the girls,” Swiatek said. “So for sure it’s a challenge. I’m happy that even though I lost my serve when I thought it’s going to be easier, I’m happy that I got my intensity even higher in the last two games to break again.”
Swiatek leveled the Group B tie at one win apiece, after Machac had earlier moved the Czech Republic to the brink of the United Cup quarterfinals with a tense win against Hurkacz.
“Obviously I knew what’s at stake,” Swiatek said, “so in tough moments I just tried to loosen up my hand and force myself to not change any movements because of any thoughts. That’s the most important thing in tennis, to try and use your intuition as much as possible and I think I did that in the last rallies for sure.”
The tie will now come down to the mixed doubles, with the winner automatically grabbing one of the precious quarterfinal spots in the knockout stages.
World No.22 Muchova had troubled Swiatek in the past, garnering a win in their first meeting at 2019 Prague and pushing the Pole to three sets in their other two meetings, most notably a closely-contested Roland Garros final in 2023.
Indeed, a deep service return by Muchova gave the Czech the first break of the day and a 2-1 lead. But that initial stumble jolted Swiatek’s heavy groundstrokes into top form and she racked up four games in a row to lead 5-2.
Serving at 5-3, Swiatek swatted away two break points with backhand winners and grabbed the one-set lead. Both players were 6-for-9 at the net in the opening frame, but Swiatek was a perfect 2-for-2 on break points.
In the second set, Muchova clawed back from a break down to level proceedings at 4-4, but Swiatek found a pair of blistering backhands to reclaim the break and serve for the match. The former World No.1 needed to save one more break point, but wrapped up the win with a winning volley after 1 hour and 56 minutes of play.
In the day’s first match, Hurkacz won six more total points in a one-hour, 55-minute clash, but Machac persevered to emerge victorious 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 and give the Czech Republic the 1-0 lead.
“It was a difficult match from the beginning. I was a little bit tired from the match with Casper [Ruud],” Machac said. “It was a great match and Hubi is an unbelievable player. It’s always a pleasure to share the court with him. In the end, I was just fighting. I’m really happy with my mental [game] in the end.”
In Hurkacz and Machac’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in last year’s Marseille quarterfinals, Hurkacz did not face a break point in a straight-sets victory.
Machac, who lost a nearly three-hour battle in his opening match of the season against Norway’s Casper Ruud, received leg rubs from coach and captain Daniel Vacek in the Team Zone during changeovers. He struggled to deal with his opponent’s second serve, as Hurkacz won a whopping 70 per cent of points behind his second delivery according to Infosys ATP Stats.
But seemingly out of the blue, Machac earned match point at 5-4 on the Pole’s serve. While Hurkacz saved a break point at 3-4 in the decider with a big backhand up the line, he could not stave off trouble again, launching a forehand long.
Machac roared in celebration and enjoyed the moment with Vacek just outside the Team Zone.
“In the end I was trying to be more aggressive, to push myself to the court,” Machac said. “It was great.”
In a thrilling match at the United Cup, Iga Swiatek showed her resilience as she held off a tough challenge from Karolina Muchova to lead Poland to the quarterfinals. Swiatek, the reigning French Open champion, displayed her trademark power and finesse on the court, ultimately securing a hard-fought victory for her team.Despite a strong performance from Muchova, Swiatek’s composure under pressure proved to be the difference in the match. With her impressive all-around game and fierce determination, Swiatek continues to solidify her status as one of the top players in the world.
Poland’s advancement to the quarterfinals is a testament to their depth and talent, with Swiatek leading the charge. As they continue their quest for the United Cup title, Poland will undoubtedly rely on Swiatek’s leadership and skill to propel them to further success. Stay tuned for more exciting matches as the competition heats up in the quarterfinals.
Tags:
- Swiatek vs Muchova match
- Poland in United Cup quarterfinals
- Tennis news
- Swiatek advances in tournament
- Poland’s success in United Cup
- Iga Swiatek latest match
- Muchova vs Swiatek quarterfinals
- Women’s tennis update
- Poland’s tennis team progress
- United Cup quarterfinals recap
#Swiatek #holds #Muchova #Poland #advances #United #Cup #quarterfinals
