Karolina Muchova was unseeded at the US Open, reflecting her ranking of 52nd in the world, but given she reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows last year she was clearly more of contender than that status suggested.
So it has proved with the Czech knocking out Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, 6-3 6-3 to reach the last eight on Monday.
Muchova was herself a Paris finalist in 2023, but needed surgery on her right wrist in October, sidelining her for 10 months.