There is a woman in professional tennis who has long sparked a wistfulness among her fellow players, current and past.
They rave about her buttery smooth strokes, her deceptive power, that sublime balance, the sculpted physique and the seemingly effortless movement that make it so easy to imagine her running the offense on her nation’s basketball team, or playing center midfield on its soccer team.
She is like that great indie singer whose occasional sets after midnight at the venue in the cool part of town have been caught for years by those in the know.
If Karolina Muchova can ever stay healthy, they say, watch out.
Noted.
Muchova, a 26-year-old from the Czech Republic, will take on Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1, in a tantalizing French Open final Saturday after upsetting Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Thursday in the match of the tournament, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5.
Every bit of Muchova’s repertoire was there on a steamy afternoon at Roland Garros. Lunging returns that floated down just inside the baseline. Banging forehands followed by dying drop shots. The ability to filet the hardest of Sabalenka’s forehands, which come off her racket as hard as any shot in women’s tennis, with cutting volleys that showed off the unteachable touch of a billiards shark.
She needed it all —…
