Hiram Moreno
The WTA circuit always has shocking stories and surprises, and this edition of the Roland Garros has not been the exception: another of the best ranked tennis players in the world has been eliminated in the first instances of the tournament.
The Greek María Sákkari was eliminated from the tournament in the second round after losing to Karolína Muchová, #81 in the WTA ranking, by a score of 7-6, 7-6. Sákkari is the fourth-ranked tennis player in the world and had a record of 20-9 before her fall, although 16 of those wins occured on hard surfaces.
With this, the French Open is left without two of the first four seeds on the WTA circuit, which opens the doors for other tennis players to win the title. During Monday, the world #2 and defending champion of the tournament, Barbora Krejčíková, lost in the first round against France’s Diane Parry 6-1, 2-6, 3-6.
Karolína Muchová’s next task will be to continue advancing in the competition, but for this she will face the American Amanda Anisimova, who is currently #28 in the ranking, so it will again be a difficult duel indeed.
What Muchová Achieved at Roland Garros 2022 Is no Coincidence
Karolína Muchová has been gaining a reputation as a “giant slayer” on the WTA tour lately, and this isn’t the first time she poses a threat to a highly ranked tennis player at Grand Slams.
In 2021, the Czech eliminated then #1 ranked WTA Ash Barty at the Australian Open in the quarterfinal round, beating her in three sets 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. However, she was eliminated later in the semifinals by Jennifer Brady.
Karolína Muchová now has a 4-2 record when playing against top 5 players, but she will hope to continue this path against whoever her rival is in order to claim her first Grand Slam title of her career.
