Belarusian tennis player and world number two Aryna Sabalenková hailed the performance of her defeat Karolína Muchová after losing in the Roland Garros semi-final, herself regretting the missed chances. She said at the press conference that she lost her rhythm at the end. She didn’t take advantage of the 5:2, match point lead and eventually lost 6:7, 7:6, 5:7. She is therefore looking forward to Wimbledon, where she missed last year due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Montage of the match Muchová – Sabalenkova | Video: AP Agency
“It was a difficult match. My opponent played incredible tennis. Despite everything, I had a lot of chances, but I didn’t use them. I’m very disappointed. It’s a difficult defeat”, said said Sabalenkova.
Against the 26-year-old native of Olomouc, she lost the first set in a tie-break, in the second set she forced a straight through with a shortened game. In the decisive third set, she led 5:2 and had match point on Muchová’s serve. However, the Czech pushed him away and Sabalenková lost the next four games in a row.
“I think it turned around when I lost serve after that. I was serving for the win, so she came back to life and started playing more aggressively. I lost my rhythm. I didn’t I wasn’t in the game at all,” she added after losing the last 20 out of 24 balls.
She also congratulated Muchová on her comeback after a series of health issues. “She was a bit out of the spotlight now, but she’s always played good tennis. She goes to the net and plays very aggressively. As soon as she sees a shorter ball, she goes to the net and that’s it. It’s hard to win a point against her. She’s playing very well,” noted Sabalenkova.
The winner of this year’s Australian Open refused to be paralyzed with nervousness at the end. She lost at the Grand Slam after a streak of 12 wins. Moreover, she did not drop a set at Roland Garros before the match with Muchová.
“You always face challenges. I will definitely learn from this game and come back even stronger. Regardless, I think what I’m doing this year and what I hope to do again is amazing and it’s amazing. It’s a step towards the next level. I don’t take this tournament negatively: “I think I progressed on clay and achieved my best result here. At the moment, I’m trying to stay positive no matter what happens on the court,” she added.
After the match, she refused to answer questions related to politics and, instead, looks forward to the start of July at Wimbledon. Last year, she was unable to participate in the Grand Slam in London due to the banning of Russian and Belarusian tennis players due to the military invasion of Ukraine.
“Yes, I have a visa. Yes. I can celebrate. I’m going to Wimbledon, which is great news. I love playing there and I enjoy the atmosphere there. I had to missed last year, but I’m looking forward to being back and showing my best tennis,” added Sabalenková.
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