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NEW YORK — Karolina Muchova already had shot of the tournament sewn up when she produced an early contender for the best performance of the U.S. Open so far.
Muchova’s 6-3, 7-6(5) win over Naomi Osaka last Thursday night was a masterclass of variety and shotmaking. In one service game in the second set, Muchova held to love thanks to two volley winners, an ace, and a devilish slice that a discomfited Osaka could only flub into the net.
Osaka wasn’t at her best, but rallied in the second set, and briefly threatened to overpower her opponent. As a packed Arthur Ashe stadium illustrated, she remains one of the biggest draws in tennis despite her status as a wildcard entrant. A similarly rammed Louis Armstrong Stadium watched her overpower No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko Tuesday, and at the French Open in late spring, her encounter with world No. 1 and eventual champion Iga Swiatek electrified a dreary first week.
There was disappointment, still. Osaka said her “heart dies” when she loses, and her team had trailered the American hard-court swing as the moment that her return to tennis would explode.
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