Karolina Muchova was unseeded at the US Open, reflecting her ranking of 52nd in the world, but given she reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows last year she was clearly more of contender than that status suggested.
So it has proved with the Czech knocking out Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, 6-3 6-3 to reach the last eight.
Muchova was herself a Paris finalist in 2023, but needed surgery on her right wrist in October, sidelining her for 10 months.
“This was my worst and most serious injury. But I love the sport, so in my head, I was, ‘I will do everything I could to (get) better and try.’ And here I am today,” Muchova said.
“I’m just a really happy kid now.”
Also through in the same half of the draw on Monday is sixth seed Jessica Pegula, who beat Russian 18th seed Diana Shnaider 6-4 6-3.
This will be Pegula’s seventh grand slam semi-final, however she has lost the previous six.
Asked during her on-court interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium what she needs to do to get to the semi-finals this time, Pegula joked: “I always say I just need to win the match to get to the semis, and then that’ll solve everything, right?
“It doesn’t really matter to me. Every match is every match. I’ve always played it like that. It just so happens to be quarter-finals, but at the same time, to be able to say I’ve been in that position many, many times is great. I just have to keep putting myself there and keep trying to play my game.”
Pegula has the momentum having won 13 of her past 14 matches, all on hard courts. But she could be up against world No.1 Iga Swiatek, who beat her in two of those quarter-final outings.
In her fourth round tie, due on court midnight local time, Swiatek plays No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova.
Muchova will next meet either Beatriz Haddad Maia, seeded 20th, or Caroline Wozniacki.
Wozniacki is unseeded but also a threat being a grand slam champion and two-time US Open finalist, though she is now 34 and last reached the final in New York a decade ago with the major coming in Australia in 2018.
with AP
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au