Muchova Rallies Past Sakkari, Sets Up Doha Final vs. Mboko – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 13, 2026
Photo credit: Brisbane International Facebook

Down a set and a break, Karolina Muchova delivered a series of fast forward finishes.

Muchova reeled off 12 of the final 15 games rallying past Maria Sakkari 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 into her third career WTA 1000 final in Doha today.

The 14th-seeded Muchova will play for her maiden WTA 1000 championship tomorrow when she takes on 10th-seeded Victoria Mboko for the first time.

Montreal champion Mboko roared through eight straight games blitzing Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2 in today’s first semifinal for her second WTA 1000 final.

The second semifinal pitted two supremely athletic players wearing identical tangerine-colored adidas outfits. In a clash of shifting streaks, Sakkari won five games in a row to seize that one-set, one break lead before Muchova answered with a couple of five-game winning streaks, including building a 5-0 lead in the decisive set.

Handcuffed at times by the flat Sakkari crosscourt backhand, Muchova turned this semifinal around deploying her variety and making some timely trips to net to beat the Greek for the fifth straight match in six career clashes.

The opening set flipped in the seventh game as Muchova earned four break points, but Sakkari refused to crack.

Sakkari saved a third break point with a big forehand strike than erased a fourth break point banging a backhand winner down the line. Sakkari ran down a drop shot and pushed a firm reply withstanding four break points in a near 10-minute hold for a 4-3 lead.

That lost opportunity seemed to fray the focus of the Czech as Muchova suddenly lost the range on her groundstrokes.

Sakkari streaked through 11 straight points to snatch the 48-minute opening set backing up the love break with a shutout hold.

The 14th-seeded Muchova left the court in an effort to regroup. Sakkari sped a forehand pass down the line breaking to open.

When the world No. 52 held she had her fifth straight game—and seeming command with a 6-3, 2-0 lead.

Mixing in more slice backhands with the occasional surge to net, Muchova turned the tables. Muchova exploited a double fault to break back for 2-all at the one hour, 11-minute mark.

That ignited a surge that saw Muchova win five games in a row snatching a 5-2 second-set lead.

Though Sakkari broke in the eighth game, Muchova broke right back at 15 to force a final set.

The Czech excelled on the stretch. 

Reading the wide serve, Muchova flicked a full-stretch forehand return winner down the line for break point in Sakkari’s opening service game of the final set. 

Dancing around her backhand, Muchova ripped a forehand down the line breaking for a 2-0 lead.

The 14th seed plowed through a love hold for a 3-0 lead taking her ninth of the last 11 games in the process.

Muchova stormed out to a 5-0 lead before Sakkari saved a match point with a body serve to deny the bagel and hold for 1-6.

On her second match point, Muchova pounded down a heavy wide serve closing her third trip to a WTA 1000 final in two hours, 13 minutes.

The 29-year-old Muchova has dropped only one set in five tournament victories as she plays for a second career championship and first since the 2019 Seoul.