Maiden Roland-Garros semi-final for Muchova, beats Pavlyuchenkova

Czech Karolina Muchova reached her first-ever Roland-Garros semi-final by beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted on court afterwards. “It’s been an incredible two weeks. I’m just glad I’m still in the competition.”

Back in a Slam semifinal 💪@karomuchova7 defeats former finalist Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-2 to reach the last four of a major for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open!#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/CzSQv3xgLX

— wta (@WTA) June 6, 2023

Indeed, she has made her way through a tough draw: she beat Greek Maria Sakkari, the No 8 seed (7-6 (5), 7-5), Argentinian Nadia Podoroska (6-3, 0-6, 6-3), Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, the No 27 seed (6-3, 6-2) and Russian lucky loser Elina Avanesyan (6-4, 6-3) ahead of her victory against former Roland-Garros finalist Pavlyuchenkova.

“I think today I played great from the start of both sets, and that for sure helped,” Muchova said in her press conference. “Nastia was playing very aggressive and maybe here and there I would say pretty risky, and was going to the court and then here and there there was few mistakes that helped me, and as well I started well the sets and then I finished them well, as well.”

Muchova had won the pair’s most recent meeting, at Wimbledon two years ago, although Pavlyuchenkova had emerged victorious in their only previous meeting on clay, the Madrid quarter-final in the same year.

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Tennis Majors

The world No 43, will next play the winner of the match between Ukrainian Elina Svitolina and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed.

She joins a prestigious honour roll of Czech women to have reached the semi-finals in Paris: Barbora Krejcikova, Petra Kvitova, Jana Novotna, Karolina Pliskova, Lucie Safarova, Nicole Vaidisova and Marketa Vondrousova.

Former Roland-Garros finalist Pavlyuchenkova will be well pleased with her run, though, at her first Grand Slam since returning from a serious knee injury. Currently ranked world No 333, she is likely to break back into the Top 100 whatever else happens this week now, although she could have flown into the Top 20 had she won the title.

Earlier in the tournament, Pavlyuchenkova, ranked No 333, defeated Czech Linda Fruhvirtova (6-2, 6-2), No 15 seed Liudmila Samsonova (4-6, 7-5, 7-5), No 24 seed Anastasia Potapova (4-6, 6-3, 6-0) and Belgian Elise Mertens, the No 28 seed (3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3).

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Paris (Grand Slam), other last eight results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 49.600.000, most recent results first):

• Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Ons Jabeur
• Iga Swiatek vs. Coco Gauff
• Elina Svitolina vs. Aryna Sabalenka