Rybakina wins hard against Muchova and reaches Indian Wells semi-finals

by time news

The Kazakh won against the Czech Muchova this Thursday in California.

Elena Rybakina, 10th in the world, qualified for the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, beating 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-4 the Czech Karolina Muchova (76th), Thursday in California.

The 23-year-old Kazakh, winner at Wimbledon last year, will face the world No.1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek or the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (83rd) for a place in the final.

She didn’t have an easy game against Muchova, who won their first meeting at the US Open in 2019, giving up a set for the first time in the tournament. She first had to unbreak in the first set, then erase a set point at 5-4, before making the difference in the deciding game. In the aftermath, Rybakina again lost her commitment without this time being able to catch up, dominated in aggressiveness by the 26-year-old Czech, uninhibited for her first participation in the event.

The Kazakh, a finalist at the Australian Open in January, regained the upper hand in the final set, managing to tighten up her game and pick up the pace. But she had to be patient, missing two match points on her opponent’s serve, before concluding on the third with an ace, her sixth of the match, after 2:46.

«The match was very difficult. I wasn’t serving as well as I wanted. I had to raise my level“, commented hot Rybakina, in search of a 4th title on the WTA circuit and who joins for the first time the last four of a tournament of this category, just below the Grand Slams.

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