French Open 2023 semi-final: Karolina Muchova v Aryna Sabalenka – live | French Open 2023

Muchova 7-6(5) Sabalenka Sabalenka comes in – Muchova’s tactics have forced her to change her own – and when she goes long, she’s set-point down, though on her own serve. And Muchova plays it brilliantly, stretching to loop a return close to the line – intentionally – before a bakchand cross-court opens a backhand down the line, a clean winner that is a fitting end to a fantastic set (of tennis).

Muchova 6-6 Sabalenka (5-5) Sabalenka hits the line with a second serve, then does likewise with the forehand that’s behind it, and when she cracks a forehand just wide, I’ve not a clue who’s going to shade this.

Muchova 6-6 Sabalenka (4-3) Immediately, Muchova snaffles a mini-break, a fine forehand return, cross-court and punkt into the corner, eliciting the error. We then progress to 3-2, a monstrous forehand then another good one arranging a volley for 4-2 – Muchova is winning more points behind her second serve than her first, which is ridiculous, especially against this opponent – but then Sabelnka plays a nice approach, puts a nervy overhead onto the line, and we’re back on serve.

Muchova* 6-6 Sabalenka Oooh yeah! Muchova comes in and this time Sabalenka is ready for her, unleashing a forehand pass that leaves burn marks on my screen. No matter, a gorgeous backhand down the line makes 15-all – I love the way Muchova plays these shots, almost ushering the ball rather than hitting it because her footwork and timing are so good – and a drop soon gives her 40-15, Sabalenka marooned behind the baseline. So next point she batters away then comes in … only to net her volley, and we’ve got ourselves the breaker we and both players deserve.

Muchova 5-6 Sabalenka* Breaking back like that will have given Sabalenka even more confidence, but at 30-15 Muchove plays a drop-winner then, second-best in the next point, hoists a momentum-switching lob only to hit the top of the net when poised to make 30-all. That was a thrilling rally but, and we looks ready for another when Muchova sends a lovely return down the line, but this time it’s Sabalenka who guides from behind her and whence it came – Muchova slips, which tells you how little she was expecting that ball, there, though she wouldn’t have got it in any case.

Muchova* 5-5 Sabalenka Sabalenka makes 0-15 then hammers away from the back, except right as 0-30 looks imminent, Muchova comes in and despatches a terrific backhand volley before guiding a forehand into the corner for 30-15 – in comms, the think this is Federer-liked. Sabalenka, though, doesn’t panic, coming in so Muchova couldn’t to paste a forehand winner of her own, but again the Czech responds, a fine serve backed up with a forehand which raises set point! So Sabalenka ups the power, disbursing further mighty forehands for deuce, then again so she can clean up at the net, and now she has a chance to break back! Again, Muchova finds a first serve, but this time Sabalenka spanks a return close to the line, eliciting the error, and that is a champion’s behaviour. This is a really enjoyable tussle, engaging brain as well as heart.

Muchova 5-4 Sabalenka* More power off from Muchova and Sabalenka, coming in, botches her putaway at the net. She does make 15-all, but now Muchova approaches the net, inviting the pass, and Sabalenka can’t; then, from 15-30, she comes in again, twice, and both times finishes points, one with a forehand volley and one with a flowing forehands into the corner, both times having opened the court with clever angles, and that’s the break! Muchova will now serve for the first set!

Muchova* 4-4 Sabalenka Sabalenka gets to 0-15 and then smokes a return down the line; Muchova responds well, finding a really good length, but then whams a forehand into tape for 0-30. She needs to steady here and does, making 30-all in short order, and looks to be enjoying the contest confident that she belongs; again, she finds great length, it prompts Sabalenka to drop a little short, and she comes in to stroke a forehand winner into the corner then quickly closes out. This is an absorbing contest, and if it comes down to a few points in a breaker, Muchova has a serious chance of causing an upset.

Muchova 3-4 Sabalenka* Has anyone ever hit the ball harder than Sabalenka? There’s Serena, obviously, and in the game now Rybakina and Ostapenko. But I’m not sure any of them go as hard and as flat as often. But hang on, Muchova digs one out from behind her in the backhand corner, forcing Sabalenka to play another shot, and her overhead goes out! 30-all and another mini-chance, quickly extinguished with a service winner and a netted volley running in. However, prior to missing the putaway, Muchova played an excellent point and will be pretty happy with how things are going.

Muchova* 3-3 Sabalenka Muchova is doing a pretty good job of landing her first serve and Sabalenka hasn’t quite found her timing on the return yet. She gets to 40-0 and even when she nets a slice, Chrissy praises her for changing the pace, then Saba slaps into the net and we’re back level. This is shaping up into a decent contest.

Muchova 2-3 Sabalenka* Sabalenka thrashes away as Muchova scurries and slides to hither and yon, doing a good job without ever looking likely to threaten the serve. A hold to 15, and the no2 seed looks extremely imposing.

Muchova* 2-2 Sabalenka Yup, Muchova plans to mix things up, serve-volleying on the first point of the game – Sabalenka nets her return – before caning an ace down the T for 30-0. She does then go wide with an inside-out forehand, but a cunningly-placed forehand, looping into the corner, takes her close to 2-2 … then Sabalenka collars her second serve, humping a winner cross-court for 40-30. She’ll have known she needs to land her first effort if she’s to compete here – when Sabalenka has a go at another, she hits long and that’s deuce – but even when she does, to the forehand, the ball comes scorches straight back past her, raising the first break point of the match. Muchova, though, responds well, sending down another ace … only to net on the forehand immediately afterwards … only to respond well again, targeting the backhand to come in which works nicely. Deuce it is, Muchova sends to the backhand corner and spiriting a fine flick cross-court with soft wrists and hands – Sabalenka’s volley falls wide, just – then closes out. On the one hand, she won’t want many tight holds like that but, on the other, she’ll feel good that she saw it out.

Muchova 1-2 Sabalenka* Muchova gets to 30-all and in the circumstances this is a chance. Muchova, as we thought she might, slows down the pace of things, forcing Sabalenka to generate her own power – if she wants to. Which she doesn’t – instead she comes in slices a gorgeous drop, then on game-point monsters consecutive forehands, illustrating the conundrum of facing her perfectly: how do you beat someone who can hit it harder than you, who also has a better touch than you?

Muchova* 1-1 Sabalenka A solid start from Muchova,b ut then at 40-15 Sabalenka runs in and from mid-court slices a lovely backhand winner cross-court to the forehand corner. She’s playing with almost indecent confidence, but when she spanks a forehand from the back it drops fractionally long and Muchova is on the board. Meantime, Chrissy notes that Saba is kinder to herself now, allowing points she doesn’t win to pass without chastising her behaviour. On which point, to learn how to practise self-compassion – and other helpful behaviours – check out the work of Dr Shefali Tsabary.

Muchova 0-1 Sabalenka* (*denotes server) I love the simplicity of Sabalenka’s serve – there’s so little movement, it’s just toss, set, bend, whack. She starts nicely too, a big topspin forehand winner giving her 40-15 and the game sealed with an ace.

And … play.

Absolute sake dept: Chatrier, though buzzing, is a long way off full. What is wrong with people?

Sabalenka goes to No1 in the world if she wins the competition or if Swiatek loses today. She’s yet to lose a set in the competition, and her last two wins, over Sloane Stephens and Elina Svitolina, were extremely impressive.

As I alluded to earlier, Muchova recently had seven months off with an abdominal injury, so being out there now must be gravy – Hawksmoor’s bone marrow gravy, no less.

Muchova wins the toss and, as per the present vogue, opts to receive. The idea is, I imagine, to put an opponent under pressure while settling oneself.

The wind’s kicking up a little which might help Muchova – she’ll be looking for points of difference – but on the other hand it might help Sabalenka, who can hit either with it or through it.

Here come our players!

What I will say is that there’s more chance Muchova beats Sabalenka than Haddad Maia beats Swiatek, partly because Sabalenka is still Sabalenka – her new-found confidence isn’t yet fully entrenched – but also because Muchova has more to offer that might cause trouble. Haddad Maia has nice hands and serious power, I just don’t think she’s enough of either to see off Swiatek.

Watching a further interview with Muchova, she won’t share her tactics but does seem to fancy herself. My guess is she tries to keep Sabalenka moving so that she can’t plant her feet and whack, which’ll mean drops, lobs, balls to the corners and variations of pace, spin and angle.

Wow. Wow wow wow wow.

We see some VT of Muchova, who says reaching the final in Rome a couple of weeks ago – she lost to Badosa – and though she’s the kind of person who wants everything now, she’s happy to have made the semi here eventually but of course still wants more.

I’m not sure Casper Ruud will win the men’s competition, but he absolutely strolls the best tan-line contest.

Preamble