Muchova ousts Krejcikova, guarantees new Wimbledon champion

Karolina Muchova has reached the semifinals at every Grand Slam except Wimbledon. The crafty Czech, whose all-court game is well suited to grass, reached the quarterfinals in her first two main-draw appearances at the All England Club in 2019 and 2021 (the tournament was not held in 2020). But she had exited in the first round in each of her next four appearances in London.

On Sunday, Muchova returned to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the third time with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 victory over fellow Czech Barbora Krejcikova, the last remaining former Wimbledon women's singles champion in the draw.

The victory guarantees a first-time Wimbledon laides singles champion will be crowned on Saturday.

"I think those years, I played really good, that's why I get to quarters," she told the media after the win. "Those years where I lost first round, I didn't. It's pretty simple (smiling). The grass is very specific. I think we did a great decision that I played two tournaments before Wimbledon so I get few more matches to feel better on the grass. Every match gives you something. You can never get it in a practice, This year we (said), Let's play matches and gain that confidence in the match. I think that was a great decision."

Krejcikova fights back from the brink to force a decider

Both players fought off multiple break points early in the opening set, with neither able to gain an advantage until the 12th game. Muchova converted her first set point to take the opener 7-5, then appeared to be in complete control after breaking in the sixth game of the second set to open a 5-2 lead.

But Krejcikova, one of the few players capable of matching Muchova's variety, mounted an impressive comeback. Despite being two points away from defeat on multiple occasions, she reeled off five consecutive games to steal the second set 7-5 and force a decider.

"She is quality player.," Muchova said of her countrywoman. "She's a Wimbledon champion. She can use all the right weapons against you. I think she reads and sees the game really well on all the surfaces, not just grass. But it makes it definitely more tricky with these bounces, with her slice, how deep she plays in the court. All these factors of her game, that makes it very tough."

Muchova quickly regained control in the third set. From 1-1, she lost just one point over the next three games to build a 4-1 advantage. With Krejcikova also appearing to struggle physically late in the match, Muchova did not falter the second time around, serving out a 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 victory after 2 hours, 45 minutes.

"I just was trying to not think of it," Muchova said about resetting at the start of the third set. "Just really focused on the moment. I still felt good. I could see it, she started to hit really freely when I was 5-2 up. She played some good points. Then I don't think I did too many bad decisions there. She just really went for it. She deserved the second set. I was just trying to start good with my serve, be still aggressive, go for my points, and then try to focus more on my serving in the third."

Eighth win in a row for Muchova

Playing on Court 2, Muchova showcased the variety that has made her one of the tour's most dangerous players in recent years. She approached the net 31 times and won 23 of those points (74%), while Krejcikova won 18 of her 33 net approaches (55%).

Muchova also finished with 50 winners against just 29 unforced errors. Krejcikova struck 24 winners and committed 32 unforced errors.

Although this was their first meeting on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, their overall head-to-head, including ITF events, is now tied at 2-2.

Muchova, who won the Bad Homburg Open in the week before Wimbledon, has now won eight consecutive matches. She has also won 11 straight matches against fellow Czech opponents at the WTA Tour-level.

"She's super talented." Krejcikova reflected on Muchova in her post-match press conference. "Today, some of the shots she played, crazy. You're coming to the net, you're almost there, halfway to win the point, and she does this, she passes you. She's really high ranked right now. She's healthy. That's also the most important for her. When she's healthy, she's playing great tennis. She's also in a great form. She played really well the previous week. Right now, she's still on the wave. She's surfing it."

The 29-year-old will next face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 in another fourth-round clash on Sunday.