As Karolina Pliskova sat in her news conference Sunday after her fourth-round victory at the United States Open, her next opponent was not yet known.
At the time, Serena Williams, the tournament favorite and a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was being pushed into a third set by 44th-ranked Kaia Kanepi.
“Obviously, I want Serena to win,” Pliskova said.
Her craving for the toughest possible opponent may have only been obvious only to herself. Pliskova beat Williams, 6-2, 7-6(5), in the U.S. Open semifinals two years ago, which gave her the confidence that she can win again.