Karolina Muchova likely would have won in two sets if she weren't facing the world No. 1. This encounter was a repeat of the French Open final from two months ago, though this time it was plagued by two rain delays that lasted more than nine hours in total. Ultimately, history repeated itself as Swiatek won the match 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Omnium National Bank event in Montreal. Thanks to this performance, Swiatek will maintain her No. 1 ranking in the upcoming Hologic WTA Tour updates on Monday, marking 72 straight weeks at the top.
Karolina Muchova might have won in straight sets if she had been playing someone else. But this was World No.1 Iga Swiatek in a repeat of the French Open final two months ago, which was delayed by two weather delays totaling more than nine hours. The outcome, however, was the same as Swiatek prevailed over Muchova in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Omnium National Bank tournament in Montreal. As a result, Swiatek will remain No.1 when the new Hologic WTA Tour rankings are released on Monday, that’s 72 weeks in a row and still counting.
Despite a surprising lapse in intensity during the second set, Swiatek managed to push through and beat the 26-year-old Czech player. This victory puts her in an elite club; she is the first player since Simona Halep in 2018-2019 to secure at least 40 WTA 1000 wins across two seasons, with 24 wins in 2022 and 17 in 2023.
While Swiatek dominated the first set by taking six of the seven games, the scoreline hides how competitive the play actually was. Muchova stayed in most of the points, but she eventually buckled under Swiatek's constant offensive. In the third game, Muchova had two opportunities to break serve, but Swiatek held firm. Later, in the fourth game, a double fault from Muchova gave Swiatek a crucial advantage.
At 3-1, Swiatek escaped another break point with a brilliant serve, while Muchova struggled with two errant forehands. The highlight of the match came in the sixth game, which saw Swiatek break for the second time after an intense battle featuring five deuces. By the end of the set, Swiatek had saved all four break points she faced, whereas Muchova converted only five of her seven chances.
The momentum shifted entirely in the second set. Muchova missed two chances to break, while Swiatek struggled with her forehand, failing to convert any of her three break point opportunities. Muchova managed to claw her way back and level the match, mirroring her performance in the Roland Garros final.
Rain in Montreal gave both competitors a chance to reset and strategize for the final set. Upon returning to the court, Swiatek wasted no time breaking Muchova's serve to go up 1-0, but the rain returned shortly after. Eventually, Swiatek managed to hold her serve to establish a 2-0 lead. She maintained that advantage for the rest of the match, closing it out with a clean hold at love.
On Friday, August 11, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will face No. 15 Liudmila Samsonova for a place in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, another key match will see the No. 7 seed, Petra Kvitova, go up against No. 12 Belinda Bencic.