Tsvetana Pironkova extended her remarkable run at the 2020 US Open with a 6-4 6-1 win over Donna Vekic. Her excellent performances are arguably the biggest surprise of this year’s event.
After spending three years away from tennis on maternity leave, the Bulgarian, now 32, used a protected ranking to enter the American Grand Slam tournament.
Many viewers may not have even noticed Pironkova was in the draw. And if they did, they probably expected her to go out in the first round. Or, at best, the second round.
However, the Bulgarian has confounded expectations. She beat World No.120 Liudmila Samsonova in the first round. Then she shocked World No.16 Garbine Muguruza in the next round.
Those wins earned Pironkova a third-round meeting with World No.24 Vekic, who reached the quarter-final at the US Open last year.
Pironkova Punishes Wayward Vekic
In the first set, Vekic looked like the better player. She hit an array of superb winners and dictated most of the points. However, she made errors at crucial moments, and it cost her dearly. She gifted Pironkova two break points in the set, and the Bulgarian took them both.
The Croatian could have been forgiven for wondering how she was a set down at that stage. But she needed to put it out of her mind and focus on mounting a fightback. She failed to do this. And, when things started going badly for her in the third game of the set, she directed an angry rant in the direction of her coach.
While Vekic was imploding, Pironkova stayed completely calm. She focused on getting as many balls back over the net as possible. Then she watched as the Croatian destroyed herself.
Ultimately, the only blessing for Vekic was that it was over quickly. She lost five games in a row as she gifted the second set to the Bulgarian in just 25 minutes. During that time, she hit just six winners and made 16 unforced errors. By contrast, Pironkova only made two unforced errors.
All told, it was a very strange match. But the Bugarian will not mind. She has now reached the last 16 at a hard-court Grand Slam for only the second time in her career. The last time it happened was in New York in 2012.
Can Pironkova go any further? It seems unlikely when you consider that her expected fourth-round opponent is Madison Keys, who tends to thrive at Flushing Meadows and looks to be in sparkling form. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to write off the Bulgarian comeback queen.
Muchova survives Cirstea scare
Karolina Muchova is going places. She shot up the rankings from 141 to 21 last year and enjoyed an eye-catching run to the Wimbledon quarter-final.
Now the Czech has an opportunity to match that performance at Flushing Meadows. However, she will have to play a lot better than she did today.
Muchova took advantage of 13 unforced errors from Cirstea to claim the first set 6-3. Then the match swung completely the other way, as the Czech made 13 unforced errors and the Romanian won the second set 6-2.
Finally, both players got their acts together in the decider, and it turned into a pulsating battle. Cirstea wasted two glorious chances to win it when she served for the match at 5-4 and led 6-3 in the tie-break.
Both times, the Romanian allowed Muchova back into it and the Czech gratefully accepted. She eventually sneaked through 9-7 in the tie-break.
Muchova will be joined in the last 16 by Elise Mertens. The Belgian continued her serene progress through the draw with a 7-5 6-1 victory over Catherine McNally. She is yet to drop a set at the 2020 US Open, and she will face either Sofia Kenin or Ons Jabeur next.
