Defending champion Iga Swiatek will face unknown surprise package Karolina Muchova in the women’s final at the French Open on Saturday.
Swiatek defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) to advance as she nears her third title at Roland Garros.
Muchova saved a match point and battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to shock world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka and reach her maiden Grand Slam final.
Muchova, ranked at 43, defeated the Australian Open winner 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 in a thrilling three-hour 13-minute match and will face defending champion Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s final.
Only last September, Muchova’s ranking was outside the top 200.
“I missed the Australian Open last year, and I was in a pretty bad state health-wise, I was working out a lot to try to get back,” said Muchova who had been a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2021.
“Some doctors told me, maybe you’ll not do sport anymore. But I always kept it kind of positive in my mind and tried to work and do all the exercises to be able to come back.
“Last year, when my ranking dropped, I wanted to feel motivated to play to get back, but I couldn’t somehow.”
The 22-year-old defending champion, who improved her record in Paris to 27-2, is bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007.
She is also the youngest woman to reach three French Open finals since Monica Seles at the start of the 1990s.
“It’s really amazing. Honestly It’s tough to play such a long tournament and I’m pretty happy I am able to play consistently and every year have a good result here, and I am pretty excited for Saturday,” said Swiatek.