Muchova Marches Into Quarterfinals At Upper Austria Ladies Linz

Karolina Muchova (photo: Upper Austria Ladies Linz/Alexander Scheuber)

LINZ/STARNBERG, January 31, 2025

Karolina Muchova made a strong start to her Upper Austria Ladies Linz campaign at the Design Center, securing a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Spanish qualifier Sara Sorribes Tormo on Thursday in just 86 minutes.

“Overall, I’m happy with how I played because Sara is a great fighter,” said Muchova. “You never know what to expect in your first match of a tournament, but today I was able to rely on my first serve. It was fantastic to play in the evening with so many spectators. The court is beautiful, the atmosphere was amazing, and I even spotted some Czech fans. Everything here is very well organized, and I’ve enjoyed exploring the city over the past few days.”

Muchova is now preparing for a quarterfinal showdown against defending champion Anastasia Potapova: “It’s going to be a very tough match because she plays extremely fast. It’ll be a completely different challenge from today,” said the two-time US Open semifinalist.

Elina Svitolina’s long-awaited return to Linz—her first appearance in 12 years—was cut short in the opening round. The former World No. 3 fought hard but ultimately fell to Anna Blinkova’s consistency and resilience. After 97 minutes, Blinkova sealed a 6-4, 6-4 victory on her second match point, earning a spot in the quarterfinals.

Her next opponent will be Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who enters the last eight well-rested after receiving a day off on Thursday.

One of the standout matches of the quarterfinals will be the battle between Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska and third seed Maria Sakkari, scheduled for Friday.

Yastremska, making her fourth appearance in Linz, reached the quarterfinals for the first time with a confident 7-5, 6-1 win over Croatian qualifier Antonia Rudzic. Meanwhile, Sakkari—who has consistently excelled in Linz—will look to continue her strong run in the tournament.

Ekaterina Alexandrova once again showcased her dominance in Linz, reaching the quarterfinals for the fifth time in her career. The 30-year-old made a strong start to her campaign at the 34th edition of the WTA event in Linz, easing past Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 6-2.

Next, Alexandrova will face Croatia’s Petra Martic in Friday’s final match. Martic, a Linz finalist in 2023, secured her place in the last eight after yet another grueling battle. She edged out Elina Avanesyan 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a marathon match lasting two hours and 49 minutes. Now, she must recover quickly if she hopes to hand Alexandrova her first-ever quarterfinal defeat in Linz—where the Russian has previously reached the semifinals in both 2018 and 2024.