Sherif guns for more firsts at French Open after Madrid run, Muchova hungry for success
Sherif became the first woman from her country to win a WTA title when she triumphed in Parma last year and broke new ground again for her nation at the WTA 1000 level, beating Caroline Garcia and Elise Mertens to make the Madrid last eight.
She was stopped by eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Spanish capital but her efforts lifted her to a career-high ranking of number 43 before she slipped to her current position of 54 heading into Roland Garros.
"Definitely I'm more calm (after the Madrid Open). I'm more composed, I have more confidence about where I can get," Sherif told reporters following her 6-3 6-1 win over American Brengle.
"I feel the Madrid experience gave me a lot of mentality to see where I can get. Now passing the first round feels like, 'OK, I got this. The next round, I also got this.'
"I don't feel any more nervous first rounds and the second rounds as much as a couple of years ago."
In 2020, Sherif became the first Egyptian woman to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam at the French Open. She reached the second round on the Parisian clay last year, but a stress fracture in her foot forced her to pull out.
However, Sherif is optimistic about her chances this year.
"Obviously this is my favourite Grand Slam, so whenever I come here, I feel comfortable on the clay ... with the conditions here," said Sherif, who meets Russian 24th seed Anastasia Potapova next.
"By the win today I'm very much looking forward to the next match. I'm more excited than anything else. I can't wait to play the next one."
Muchova says Grand Slam hunger behind upset
Karolina Muchova (26) credited the extra motivation she has at the Grand Slam level for her fifth win over a top-10 player at the majors after toppling world number eight Maria Sakkari (27) at the French Open on Sunday.
Sakkari was left with a sense of deja vu following the 7-6(5) 7-5 defeat having lost to Muchova at last year's tournament after describing the Czech as one of the toughest unseeded players anyone could have in the first round.
Muchova, who has beaten the likes of Karolina Pliskova and Ash Barty apart from Sakkari at the Grand Slams, said there was no secret to her success after she returned to action following abdominal and ankle injuries in 2022.
"It's the biggest tournament and I like to play them as well as - I don't want to say I'm not focused on other tournaments, but the motivation is bigger at all the four slams," Muchova, the world number 43, told reporters.
"I think that might be it. But anyway, anywhere I am, I'm trying to play the best against top seeds and trying to get back my ranking as well because I think I could be at least seeded at the Grand Slams.
"That would help me as well. I think I'm getting there step-by-step. I'm glad that I won today."
Muchova, who now has eight wins over top 10 players in her career, will take on another former Roland Garros semi-finalist in Nadia Podoroska of Argentina next.