LINZ/STARNBERG, February 1, 2025

The Upper Austria Ladies Linz has found a new fan favorite! Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic has made an impressive debut at the prestigious tournament, advancing to the semifinals with a hard-fought victory over 2023 champion Anastasia Potapova. In front of 2,500 enthusiastic fans at the sold-out Linz Design Center, Muchova secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win in a high-quality quarterfinal clash.

The highly anticipated showdown between the tournament’s top seed Muchova and the defending champion Potapova lived up to expectations. Muchova showcased her dynamic attacking game, while Potapova relied on her powerful baseline play. However, the Russian struggled to convert her opportunities, managing just one break from twelve chances. After staging a strong comeback in the second set, Potapova faltered in key moments of the decider, allowing Muchova to clinch victory on her second match point after 2 hours and 10 minutes.

“That was an incredibly tough match. She played brilliantly, and the last game was especially tight. I really wanted to win, and I’m happy I pulled through. It’s amazing to have so many Czech fans here, but the Austrian supporters are fantastic as well. It makes playing here so much fun,” said Muchova, who delighted the crowd by showing off some newly learned German phrases.

On Saturday, Muchova will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinals. The two-time Linz finalist (2018, 2024) overcame a slow start against Petra Martic, eventually rallying for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory to secure her fifth semifinal appearance at her favorite tournament.

Ekaterina Alexandrova picks up her first career win over Martic #WTALinz pic.twitter.com/4HTRA0eqoX

— wta (@WTA) January 31, 2025

“It was tough to get into the match today because Petra has so many weapons. But things improved in the second set. I don’t know why I always play so well here in Linz… I just feel incredibly comfortable, and the fans support me every year,” said Alexandrova after her late-night victory on Friday.

Yastremska stuns Sakkari

Maria Sakkari fell short of reaching her second Upper Austria Ladies Linz semifinal, suffering a straight-sets defeat to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. In just 80 minutes, Yastremska prevailed 7-5, 6-0, with the tight first set proving to be the turning point. She displayed greater consistency in the key moments, allowing her to take full control of the match.

“The atmosphere was incredible. There are always a lot of Ukrainian fans here, and the venue is fantastic. I actually enjoy playing in environments like this, even if I don’t always show it,” said Yastremska, who celebrated her first win over a top-50 player since June last year.

She will now take on Clara Tauson. The Danish rising star has been in outstanding form at the start of the new season, reaching the Linz semis without dropping a set. In her quarterfinal match, she delivered a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over Anna Blinkova, who had eliminated Elina Svitolina the previous day.

Tauson, who fired nine aces in her latest win, is enjoying her second semifinal of 2025, having already claimed her third career title in Auckland earlier this year.

“We both played really well, but I was brave in the crucial moments. I absolutely love playing indoors—it’s something I grew up with in Denmark, but we don’t get many chances on tour. The atmosphere here is amazing,” said the 21-year-old Scandinavian.

Another great day of tennis comes to an end – here are today’s results ✨#wtalinz #wta #upperaustria pic.twitter.com/eIDoCqSTlE

— #WTALinz (@WTALinz) January 31, 2025