MELBOURNE – After the unusual path Jennifer Brady followed — college tennis at UCLA; just one tour-level title so far; more recently, a two-week hard quarantine upon arrival in Australia — perhaps it was fitting she took a circuitous route to her first Grand Slam final.
Serving for the win against Karolina Muchova in the Australian Open semifinals, Brady needed to get through an 18-point game to close things out.
Six deuces. Three break points. Five match points. “It took a lot longer than I hoped for. There were a lot of extra points,” the 22nd-seeded Brady said. “I was just so nervous.
Couldn’t feel my legs. My arms were shaking. I was just hoping she would miss.” Eventually, the 25-year-old American pulled it out, dropping onto her back