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No.25 seed Karolina Muchova won her second prize over Czech No.1 Karolina Pliskova at Slam, defeating No.6 seed 7-6, 7-5 in the third round of the Australian Open. Muchova, 24, engineered back into the second set, building a rally from 0-5 down to win the final seven games of the game to secure her first appearance in the second week in Melbourne.
Coming into the game, Muchova and Pliskova had split their previous two meetings. Pliskova ousted Muchova from the first round of the Australian Open in 2019, with Muchova getting revenge at Wimbledon that same year, saving game points to beat Pliskova 4-6, 7-5, 13 -11 on the way to her first major final.
LEARN: ‘I Never Had a Plan B’ – Getting to Know Karolina Muchova
On Saturday, Muchova’s all-court steady and cunning game went out Pliskova shakey, who admitted after the game that she is still finding her main form.
“The feeling was not very good from any of the games here. Some were a little better, some were a little worse,” Pliskova said.
“I think totally, too many mistakes, too much panic in the rallies. I don’t know if it’s just that there haven’t been any games lately, even last year. I don’t feel safe with anything whatever I was doing on the court. “
Muchova and Pliskova gave up three service breaks to open the game, with Muchova earning the first grip of the game to advance to 3-1 before Pliskova got the set back served with a break to 3-3 . The set would stay neck and neck until Pliskova made the final in the 11th game, firing a double fumble on a break point to give Muchova the lead, who -set after saving rest points in the last game, taking it 7- 5.
“Absolutely very sad,” Muchova said. “Both of us, we were very anxious to say. Luckily to get through, to hold the end of the first set.”
After earning a point penalty at the start of the set for racquet abuse, Pliskova added the fear to her hit. The former No.1, who was claiming a string of Week 1 losses in the last three Slams, went into a 5-0 lead in the second set.
From there, Muchova got on the board, coming through a long deuce game to finally turn on her third game point. Muchova then broke abruptly at 15 in the next game, as she picked up her game and began to put pressure on Pliskova in the corners.
“I thought there were close twin games where I could go 6-0,” Pliskova said. There was a long game for 5-1 and 6-0. “
“I thought she was just playing a little better at this level. Of course, I played pretty amazing to 5-0, but then it’s really hard to keep this level for a longer period of time. I was going for great views. “
Serving for the set a second time at 5-3, Pliskova fired two double faults on the way to a 15-40 hole, giving Muchova two rest points. Pliskova did well to balance the game at deuce with two clean tackles, but two strong returns from Muchova earned the break for her to get the set back on service.
“I think I had a bit of a lull at the start of the second set,” Muchova said. “But still, on her service I didn’t have many breakpoints, I didn’t use them. It’s about a few points. I just believed I could still do it.
“I saw she was a little anxious and shaky. She was definitely so good about the head.”
Muchova stepped closer to the finish line thanks to tight deuce back games and then Pliskova broke to secure a chance for the 6-5 win. From 15-all, Pliskova made a mistake on back forehands to give Muchova two game points. Muchova turned on her second, getting the upper hand over Pliskova in an 11-bullet rally to come back.
“Every game was going to be to mind and to fight,” Muchova said. “Yeah, a few points. I’m happy. I’m glad it worked out in a second set.”
Muchova will face either Gippsland Cup champion Elise Mertens or No.11 seed Belinda Bencic for a place in her second major quarter-quarter.