5 break points at his disposal, he also had a lot of breaks. It is one of the keys to interpretation Karolina Moshova defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of Roland Garros, at the end of a plentiful three hours full of intensity and pathos. It seemed over when the Belarusian had a match point 5-2 in the third period, but since then there has only been one player on the field.
“It was a rollercoaster match,” said the winner at the press conference, “but Even when I found myself trailing 5-2 I knew that after all there was only one break difference. I didn’t know whether to do it or not, but I tried to build myself an opportunity, it worked, and I took advantage of it. I tried to think one point at a time, put pressure on my opponent, use the chip and not give her easy balls, and I’m proud that I could turn the game around. It was a super fight, I gave everything and it paid off. The energy of the crowd also helped: I don’t know if I’ve ever played in such a full and noisy stadium. It was nice.”
As mentioned, his comeback began after the disqualified game point, serving at 2-5. “I just thought of finding a good first ball, without putting any pressure on myself. it worked. In general, serving throughout the match helped me overcome some difficult situations.
The tennis expressed at Roland Garros increases this regret over what his career could have been, and so far it hasn’t been due to so many injuries. “I don’t particularly think about it – because I don’t know what could happen,” she said. Everything has its time. In the past, I’ve had some difficult moments, but today it’s the same ones that allow me to enjoy more of what I achieve. I know where I came from, and today I achieved my dream, which is to play in a Grand Slam tournament final.”
When asked specifically, the Czech returned to his difficulties in recent years. “There were different complicated moments – he explained – as I moved from one injury to the next. When I was forced to miss the Australian Open in 2022 (I couldn’t defend the previous year’s final, ed.), it was a mental blow. but I worked on trying to come back, trying to keep a positive mindset and do whatever I could to help. Until last year, when my ranking dropped and I came back to play smaller tournaments, it wasn’t good at all. I was looking for reasons, but could not find them. I knew that I had the last chance to use the protected rating in Indian Wells, and I told myself that after that tournament I would draw some conclusions. From that moment on, I began to feel better physically. Life is always full of ups and downs. I am now in the high stage“.
Accompanying Muchova’s victories is an impressive statistic: Against the top three in the rankings, he played five times and won five times, four of which were Grand Slams. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek warned. “I certainly can’t consider myself a favorite, and I didn’t even know about that statistic. He told me that I can play even against the strongest. The test was today: losing 5-2, with match points against, I thought I still had a chance to win, I built it and did it. It gives me great confidence. To win Saturday’s final I have to fight, get the best out of my tennis and play a perfect match“.
To honor Muchova’s great match, as well as defeating Aryna Sabalenka. “My opponent played – as the Belarusian player said – at an amazing level. It is not easy to build a point against it, because as soon as you play a shorter ball, you attack it and it goes into the net. I felt comfortable on the pitch, didn’t feel any particular pressure and struggled to build up my chances, but then I just couldn’t take them. That all changed when I dropped serve 5-3 in the third set: From that moment on, my opponent gained confidence and suggested a more aggressive tennis, while I lost my rhythm.
Despite losing on match point to her in the semifinals, this year’s one remains – by far – the best ever Roland Garros for a player from Minsk. “This year on earth – continue – I have done great things, and I hope to be able to continue in this way. I have improved a lot and will try to learn something from this match to come back stronger next year. I’m sorry for the way it turned out, but I still have to try to see the glass is half full. For me, this tournament remains positive“.
Once the clay-court period is over, the Belarusian will be back on the court on grass, with the big Wimbledon goal where she missed in 2022. Until a few weeks ago she was still waiting for a visa to enter the UK, but He has now arrived and a return to the All England club is a certainty. “I’m really happy to be able to come back,” he explained, “because I really like playing there and I like the atmosphere. I missed Wimbledon last year: I can’t wait to get back to showing my best tennis“.
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