"After suffering a severe injury, Muchova makes a comeback to the US Open quarterfinals."

 Despite spending much of the past year on the sidelines, Karolina Muchova has resumed her impressive form at the US Open. The 2023 semifinalist made it back to the quarterfinals with a decisive 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini in just 69 minutes.

At this time last year, Muchova’s journey to the final four was a highlight of an unusually long period of good health. It was her first instance of reaching multiple Grand Slam semifinals in a single season, following her inaugural major final at Roland Garros, and she climbed to a career-high No.8 ranking.

However, it was also the last time the Czech player stepped onto the court for the next 10 months due to wrist surgery, which she described in a post-match interview as the "worst and most serious injury" of her injury-riddled career. Muchova made her return to competition in June, and this year’s US Open marks only her sixth tournament since coming back.

Currently ranked No.52, Muchova has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows. The closest she came was in her high-profile second-round match against Naomi Osaka, where she saved triple set points in the second set. Her win over Paolini is her first Top 5 victory since she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 Cincinnati semifinals and her seventh overall, earning her a spot in her sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Slow start, strong finish: In her on-court interview, Muchova revealed that she was nervous at the beginning of the match, exacerbated by the windy conditions. She struggled with uncharacteristic errors in both her shots and movement, stumbling and hesitating to advance.

Before the match, Muchova had a solid record of winning 49 out of 65 points at the net, but even her volleys faltered early on, causing her to fall behind 3-1.

However, a couple of games later, the 28-year-old began to hit her stride. With a blend of slices, drop shots, and a brilliant reflex volley, she managed to break Paolini’s serve and equalize at 3-3.

After that, Muchova took control of the match. She frequently dazzled with her signature shots, like the precise drop volley that concluded a tense net exchange. Yet, her play was also grounded in solid fundamentals: from a 3-1 deficit in the first set, she conceded only five more points on serve and just two in the entire second set.

Paolini, a finalist at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, fought hard as she has all year, leading the tour in Grand Slam match wins for 2024. However, she could only produce 10 winners compared to Muchova’s 17, and her reliable forehand faltered in the final stretch.

Muchova also quickly corrected any issues at the net from the start of the match. She won 11 of her 14 net points, bringing her tournament total to 60 out of 79.

Next Up-:  Muchova will aim for her second consecutive US Open semifinal, facing either No. 22 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia or former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Muchova leads Haddad Maia 3-0 in their head-to-head matchups and has yet to compete against Wozniacki.