NEW YORK—If you’re ever in the US Open semifinals, and you find yourself one point from being down a set and two breaks, now you know what to do.
You take a big slap at a Hail Mary crosscourt forehand pass from outside the sideline, and pray that your opponent misses the volley. That’s what Jessica Pegula taught us in her utterly unlikely comeback win over Karolina Muchova on Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium. After that shot, and Muchova’s miss, the match turned on its head.
Up until that moment, for the first nine games of the match, Muchova had been lights out. She couldn’t have hit the ball more cleanly, or played with more clarity, or read Pegula any better. Time after time, the American hit a penetrating shot, only to be caught out of position as Muchova zipped it back, an inch from the sideline. The Czech showed off everything she had, from touch volleys to half-volley drops to power serves down the T to full-cut ground-stroke winners. By the start of the second set, Pegula’s head was hanging and it seemed she had stopped searching for answers. Muchova led 6-1, 2-0, with break points for 3-0.
