If style contrasts are the not-so-secret secret of great tennis duels, then the final between Muchova and Swiatek has the potential to be something special. Swiatek will try to interfere and hit. Muchova will try to use every weapon at her disposal, leaving Swiatek guessing what’s coming next from her racquet – slices, killer topspin, floating moonballs falling inches off the baseline.
For a while last year, the conventional wisdom was that the only player who could beat Swiatek was Swiatek herself. She has spoken of fighting her nerves and having to force herself to play to win rather than not lose.
Earlier in the week, following her quarterfinal win over 19-year-old American Coco Gauff, Swiatek said she often calms down as a Grand Slam tournament moves into the later rounds. The initial tension eases and she is able to take a moment to enjoy what she has achieved.
A Grand Slam final is another matter, however, as is Muchova. The two only played once four years ago before either was the person or player they are today. Muchova won that match in three sets on clay in front of a home crowd in Prague when Swiatek was ranked No. 95 in the world.
The two have practiced together many times since then, said Swiatek, who, like Barty, is a Muchova believer. She often watches Muchova’s games.
“She can do everything,” said Swiatek.
Her single game may be too small a sample to draw any conclusions, but this stat might be more telling: Muchova has played five games against players ranked in the top three, and she’s won every time.
“It just shows me that I can play against them,” she said on Thursday. “I can keep up.”
In fact, she can. Your competitors have known that for a long time.