Unseeded Karolina Muchova advances to French Open final after upseting Aryna Sabalenko in grueling match

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As it is, Karolina Muchova was the unseeded, unexpected participant in the French Open semifinals.

And then, dealing with cramping legs nearly three hours into the match, she was just one point from losing to No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who entered Thursday with a 12-0 Grand Slam record in 2023, including an Australian Open title.

Muchova somehow worked her way out of that difficult situation, grabbing the last five games against an error-prone Sabalenka for a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory at Roland Garros to reach her first major final at the last place she expected.

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Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic celebrates winning her semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in three sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 8, 2023.  (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

"A roller coaster," Muchova said.

It was tough to decide which was more stunning: that Sabalenka lost — or the way she lost.

"I just tried to keep fighting and it worked," Muchova said. "I really don’t know what happened."

Well, here are the basics: Sabalenka held a match point while ahead 5-2 in the third set, but Muchova erased that with a forehand winner. That began a run in which Muchova collected 20 of the last 24 points.

"After that game, she kind of stepped in and started playing a little bit more aggressive, and I kind of lost my rhythm," was Sabalenka's summation. "Yeah, I wasn’t there."

In Saturday’s title match, Muchova will meet either No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, or No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia. Their semifinal was