Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs. Karolina Muchova | 2026 Bad Homburg Semifinal | WTA Match Highlights

Well, Elena Gavrilova has had to come through qualifying and drop just one set here at Homburg. Her win yesterday against Emma Navarro. As for Karolina Mukhova, well she's already graced four semi-finals this season. A win today would see the Czech into it. It is tails. I received it. Perfect. And do you want a photo? Okay, perfect. Thank you. That's a very experienced coach. It's been on tour for a long time. Yeah, that's a smart shot. Excellent play. Oh, wonderful placement. That was a lovely play. Mukhova just tried to mix that up, didn't she? Come in off the slice but... Lovely. Really smart play again from Russek. What a chance for Russek to hit the front and serve the set. Oh, she'll be disappointed. That was a chance. Especially against world number 11, former top 10. Oh, that is a beauty. And that has drifted long. Goodness me, out of nowhere. That is a breaker serve and a fairly straightforward one as well for Mukhova. That was a ragged game from Russek. At the worst possible time, Mukhova takes the set in 52 minutes. Semi-final record, she's won. It's a nice touch to get down low to meet that one. Oh, well, made that look a lot easier than it actually was there. Mukhova, brilliant return from Russek, but smart work at the net. That's a lovely... Oh, Karolina Mukhova, shot of the day. No doubt about that. Set number one could do with a second here. Desperate defending by Mukhova, but it didn't pay off. That is wonderful work for Mukhova. It is a third final of 2026, a fabulous 2026 as well for Karolina Mukhova. My word, that was tight. A lovely embrace from the two players at the net. First set, they could barely be separated until Mukhova broke to win it 6-4. The second set, Mukhova raced into a 5-2 lead. She had match points, but Russek found a late flourish, but Mukhova had the final answer. She will grace tomorrow's final, getting past Elena Gabriela Russek in straight sets, 6-4. Well done, congrats in the final. Again, it was quite close at the end, a complicated match, and tell us, bring us through the last three, four hours maybe, with a heat break and all this. I mean, not easy for you players. Three, four hours? Overall, with a heat break and all this. It was a long time, a long break. Yeah, exactly. In this heat, I don't remember what was a minute ago. I mean, yeah, tough conditions. I don't know what is happening here in Bad Hamburg, this weather is crazy. Yeah, I'm surprised that, again, I would repeat myself, there's so many people here. I don't know, guys, how you do it. Thank you. And yeah, I mean, we had a break. It was nice, you know, me and my team, we went to the village, had some Aperol Spritz and had some... Of course. Yeah, some time off, so it was nice to get a bit, you know, easy going now. And yeah, I think she started to play now at the end very good, so I'm happy I managed to get that break, and I'm happy I can go for another drink now. Yeah, that's very good. I mean, everybody says, you know, Caro is playing such an incredible tennis, which you really can watch very good. You always look so calm and quiet on court. Are you the same, private? Or in German we say, can you freak out? Not much, honestly. I'm a very calm person overall, so I would say it's tough to get me mad or angry or anything, so you don't get much from me. No, I'm pretty chill overall. That's our impression as well, by the way, yeah. It's not your first final, of course, you won Doha this year. You went to the finals of all along, also a very big one. How do you sleep before these kind of matches? I mean, now you have Naomi Osaka, I think you beat her twice already. How do you sleep normally before so big finals? I don't sleep. You don't sleep, that's not enough. Especially here at the finals, I saw it's at 11 a.m. It's been a long day yesterday, a long day today, so yeah, I don't know how I am. Maybe some strong pills or something to get me to sleep. I don't know. It was fun talking to you and not too much alcohol. Tomorrow's the final.