Key events
I love Paolini but Muchova is the better player and dictating more of the points. Set two though, opens with a hold apiece, the Czech leading 6-3 1-1.
Paolini makes 0-15 but Muchova is so chill out there and very quickly raises two set points, a high-kicking serve especially effective against her diminutive opponent. And from there, Muchova comes in, puts away, and five games in a row means she takes the first set 6-3! That was very impressive and it’s clear she can play better.
She’s not at her best yet but Muchova has settled and it feels like the match is on her racket in that she’s controlling more of the play and ending more of the rallies, wherher by winner or error. She holds for 4-3 then hits a terrific winner on the return for 15-all; an error from Paolini then gives her 15-30 before she wins a net exchange with the daintiest of volleys. The first break point goes with a backhand into the net and the second via shanked return – the ball was there for her – but when a mishit return loops up, Paolini overhits her swing-volley putaway and at 5-3, Muchova will now serve for the first set! What a turnaround!
Now Muchova holds easily, but can she make an impression on the Paolini serve? So far, she’s made too many unforced errors to ask the questions she’ll have prepared, but she makes 30-all and then plays a lovely point, a drop giving her the chance to hoist a lob that’s too good; break-back point. But another unforced error on the return, cedes the opportunity. No matter: Paolini goes long on the forehand and on advantage, she tries a drop, Muchova getting it back deep and blocking back a ball deliberately whacked at her, before tidying up. We’re back on serve at 3-3 in the first.
Paolini consolidates easily and it’s just ridiculous how good she’s got all of a sudden. I mean, obviously the raw materials were there, but they’d been there for years – she’s 28! I can’t remember the last time a player had such a glow-up so late in their career.
This match is such high fashion Anna Wintour is in to enjoy it.
Two errors give Paolini 0-30, then at 0-40 second serve barely struggles over the net. And though the return is out, Muchova then nets at 30-40 and it’s the Italian with the early advantage, up 2-1 with a break.
An ace onto the outside of the line gets Paolini 30-0, then Muchova nails a forehand pass down the line, on the run; brilliant shot. Then, at 30-all, Muchova plays a good approach only to notch her putaway, and from there Paolini seals the hold with a booming forehand. Muchova, though, will be irritated she didn’t raise break point because she’d done all the hard work in the rally. But it’s 1-1 and already, this is shaping up.
Muchova holds for 1-0 and I’d expect her to really attack the Paolini serve
I can’t wait for this match. I reckon Muchova will want to keep Paolini moving. Except she’s really good at moving, so I’d not be surprised to see her regularly hauled in to the net rather than just allowed to race side to side and unleash. Paolini, I imagine, will want to clout forehands into corners.
Our players are out on Armstrong and the good news is that Martina is on co-comms.
In her post-match press conference, Gauff said she thought the problem was mental not technical, saying she can hit 30 serves in practice and nail them all. But I’m not sure you can separate them, because we all saw her shoulder dropping yesterday, an issue which might be exacerbated by the match situation but which definitely exists.
On the telly, they’re discussing Coco Gauff, whose performance yesterday wasn’t always easy to watch. Laura Robson suggests she take the rest of the season off to address the technical fault with her serve and Martina agrees that might be a smart plan. Thinking back to her own career, she says she didn’t know you could have time off so she didn’t, but now she knows you can, she thinks a break might do Gauff well.
Also going on:
Preamble
Yo dudes, and welcome to the US Open 2024 – day eight!
Sometimes, the desire of tournament organisers to put the biggest names on primetime is an annoyance, but other times it works quite well. Today, for example, when our most enticing match is also our first.
Jasmine Paolini has had an amazing year, coming from nowhere to reach the last two major finals, a bouncing bundle of joy and aggression who can scarcely believe what’s happening to her. But in Karolina Muchová she meets an opponent whose clever deployment of spins, angles, power and pace makes her a one-off for whom it’s difficult to plan. Or, in other words, this could be an absolute classic.
Following them on Armstrong, Jack Draper – whose win over Botic van de Zandschulp, conqueror of Carlos Alcaraz, gives him the number three seed’s passage through the draw – meets Tomas Machac. Draper knows what a chance this is for him, but the pressure isn’t too great because he also knows there’ll be many more such chances. His swinging lefty serve and his certainty that he belongs make him a serious threat … but to get to this point, Machac has despatched Fabio Fognini, Seb Korda and David Goffin in straight sets and all of his best grand slam performances have come in 2024. He too believes this can be his moment.
Also on Armstrong is Caroline Wozniacki v Beatriz Haddad-Maia and Alex de Minaur v Jordan Thompson – decent! – while our day-dig on Ashe brings Diana Shnaider v Jessica Pegula and Nuno Borges v Daniil Medvedev. So, eyes down for another banging day of lovely tennis. Awesome! Let’s go!
Play: 11am local, 4pm BST
