By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday September 3, 2024
New York—Tennis is about feeling for Karolina Muchova.
Because the 28-year-old Czech works her approach again to type after lacking 9 months because of wrist surgical procedure, it’s feeling fairly good.
Muchova made it back-to-back quarterfinals on the US Open by defeating some of the in-form gamers on tour on Monday in New York. She took out Jasmine Paolini, 6-3, 6-3, and can face Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia for a shot at her second US Open semifinal on Wednesday.
She’s achieved it by enjoying her throwback tennis, replete with internet forays, aesthetically pleasing volleys, and – in case you missed it – essentially the most unbelievable shot of the US Open: a behind-the-back sizzling shot that went viral throughout week one.
It’s uncommon on this period of physicality and baseline grinders to see a participant tout such an inventive fashion on court docket, however Muchova pulls it off, and wins followers as she does it.
“I am a fan of her,” Paolini mentioned earlier than going through her on Monday. “She’s enjoying unbelievable. I actually love how she performs. She will play each shot, slice, volleys, serve and volleys. She’s a really full participant, I feel, very powerful opponent.”
Paolini in all probability wasn’t such an enormous fan after she was defused by the sleek Czech in Louis Armstrong Stadium on Day 8, however such is life.
“Muchova is like one among my favourite gamers to look at,” mentioned Andy Roddick on his Served Podcast on Monday. “I don’t know the way she hasn’t been nice for like ten years. Everytime I watch her I’m like: she is legit good, like actually, actually, good.”
“She could be one of many High 5 most athletic gamers,” his co-host Jon Wertheim replied.
Listening to the Tennis Podcast this week on the 7 practice into Flushing Meadows, I heard Matt Roberts evaluate Muchova to Suzanne Lenglen and thought to myself: YES! Every part however the ankle-length gown and the courtside brandy is there.
There’s a uncommon class to Muchova’s tennis, an artistry, a aptitude.
Muchova says she has to play that approach, it’s mainly the one approach she will be able to abdomen the game. She’s no baseline basher, this artful Czech.
She does all of it with an air of humility. She doesn’t imagine she is rebelliously flying the flag within the identify of freedom. Muchova is simply… Muchova.
“I am unable to inform if it is distinctive,” she mentioned of her fashion of tennis on Monday after taking down Paolini, “however yeah, I identical to to vary it up. I love to do what I do, mainly going to the web and truly play a recreation. Have extra enjoyable; not simply grind again and play forehands/backhands.
“It is how I see the sport. It is how I wish to play it. It is the issues that I wish to as nicely enhance in practices after which carry it on the court docket.”
It’s good to see Muchova again, and good to see her having success with a kind of explorative tennis that makes purists rave, however isn’t all the time thought-about essentially the most environment friendly – or efficient. It’s powerful to do what Muchova does, that’s why no person performs that approach anymore.
You attempt volleying a dipping, whizzing 100 MPH forehand passing shot after which inform me all tennis gamers ought to go to the web extra.
Credit score to Muchova for not simply pulling it off, however making herself a real menace to win majors whereas doing so.
Earlier than they met within the 2022 Roland-Garros ultimate, Iga Swiatek had this to say about Muchova.
“I actually like her recreation, truthfully. I actually respect her, and he or she’s a participant who can do something. She has nice contact; she will be able to additionally velocity up the sport. She performs with that type of…I don’t know…freedom in her actions. And he or she has an excellent approach. So I watched her matches and I really feel like I do know her recreation fairly nicely.”
Serve-and-volley, the extinct albatross of the game, is the area of few on tour lately. Credit score Muchova for retaining it alive. She has tried the tactic on 14 % of her service factors on the US Open, a better share than every other participant of the 256 singles gamers in the primary draw.
And, she’s gained 86 % of these factors.
Credit score Muchova for making 2024 the brand new 1924 – lengthy stay the artistry, the texture and the contact.
