Karolina Muchova has been the player of the week thus far at the
China Open and amid the tide of Chinese fans, she silenced the home hopes by defeating Qinwen Zheng 6-3, 6-4 to make the final.
Muchova will now face Coco Gauff in said final who defeated Paula Badosa earlier this morning in the first semi-final. It is a second career WTA 1000 semi-final after 2023 Cincinnati for Muchova.
Both Gauff and Muchova have two WTA 1000 finals on their resumes. Both against each other. But Muchova who defeated Aryna Sabalenka earlier this week in particular has been sublime and carried on from where she left off at the US Open.
She reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows and lost to Jessica Pegula after going a set up. But she battled a stomach virus which thwarted her against Beatriz Haddad Maia at times and so wasn't at her 100% best. This week though has been mirroring of that fortnight but potentially the end result to come.
It was the second time that she has faced the Olympic gold medalist this year with their Palermo final seeing Muchova return to a championship match soon after her comeback. But she was defeated so this is some semblance of revenge for her. A player utterly effortless when she is at her best, she is finally showing it again after much mooted injury woes.
Especially on a position of the body in the wrist that as Dominic Thiem proved is very difficult to come back from. The opening set was very much dominance on serve and taking her chance as she sealed a break at 4-2 and from there she sealed the set 6-3. The second saw an earlier break but similar dominance and the only perhaps hiccup came in ending the match. She had break chances to win it at 5-3. But she spurned two match points as Qinwen Zheng stayed in it momentarily. But Muchova closed the door from there firmly holding to love to claim it.
