WUHAN — No. 6 seed Karolina Muchova and No. 16 seed Maja Chwalinska both needed to win in comeback fashion in their Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open second-round matches Wednesday, but the two could not be more different. 

For Muchova, she went toe-to-toe with qualifier Caty McNally, who was seeking her third career top 10 win on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. McNally dominated the first set, and the match went down to the wire in the second and third sets, both requiring a tiebreak — a situation that Muchova has thrived in this season.

The Czech is 10-0 in tiebreaks this season, becoming the first player this century to win their first 10 tiebreaks in a single season. Sanchez Vicario (2000) and Maria Sakkari (2020) both won their first nine.

Two of Muchova’s 10 came in her 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(4) win over McNally. Last week in Beijing, she also won two more sets in tiebreaks, once in her opening match vs. Katie Boulter and the other against Naomi Osaka in a fourth-round match that saw her need nine match points to win. 

“I actually knew that this year I’m doing pretty great in tiebreaks,” Muchova said to press. “In my head, I try to tell myself, ‘Okay, it’s tiebreak, it’s my thing.’ Kind of give myself confidence and try to play aggressive in my game from the start of both of the tiebreaks, and I think it is just paying off.

“Obviously, you never know in a breaker, and I think I catch the start of it and hit some good shots, winners, good serves. When you’re a bit ahead in a tiebreak, you play until seven points so then I just felt closer and was more confident.”

The victory also marked Muchova’s 14th three-set win in 2026, the most she’s had in a single season. She also has recorded eight come back wins, too, more than the last two years combined.

While Muchova recognizes that she’s played significantly more matches this season compared to years past, she also attributed the reasoning to her grit on court. 

“I just obviously try to fight in every match and not just leave it there,” Muchova said. “Today, I didn’t feel so great in the first set. I wasn’t feeling myself. And I think in the second set, when I broke her serve, I kind of like switched and I locked myself in a bubble and was swinging more freely.

“I just wanted to basically, not leave it there, just fight and try to get that win. That’s what I try to do in every match. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I’m glad that this year I have more numbers that did work.”

Muchova is set to face [11] Diana Shnaider to begin play on Center Court Thursday. 

Chwalinska wins 12 of last 14 games vs. Bouzkova

Marie Bouzkova seemed to be well on her way to a spot in Wuhan’s third round with a 6-1 first set against Chwalinska.

Then, the tables turned as Chwalinska each of the next two sets in a topsy-turvy 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 win. She’s into her first Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event, and will next face Iva Jovic. 

Jovic’s path to the third round was much more streamlined in a 6-4, 6-1 win over Dayana Yastremska after a first-round bye. The 18-year-old American has seen the rise of Chwalinska ever since the Pole’s breakthrough at Roland Garros. 

“She’s had an incredible year and a big breakthrough,” Jovic said. “Obviously, making finals of the Slam is a dream. I think it’ll be a good match. She’s definitely a crafty player. We’ve only practiced together once or twice, maybe, so it’ll be interesting. We’ll see who plays their game better.”