Muchova ends Barty title bid as world No 1 suffers shock defeat
Karolina Muchova stunned world No 1 Ashleigh Barty with a sensational comeback sparked by a medical time-out to progress into the Australian Open semi-finals following a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
The 25th seed looked out of sorts in a first set which lasted only 24 minutes and at this stage it seemed the home favourite sealing her place in the last four was a formality.
A medical time-out proved the catalyst for the Czech to wrestle back some momentum and, after she levelled, it was Barty who lost her radar and a catalogue of unforced errors saw hopes of a maiden Australian Open victory ended.
For Muchova her remarkable tournament continues with Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens already dispatched but this victory tops the lot and seals a first ever appearance at the last four of a grand slam.
In her on-court interview, the 24-year-old semi-finalist reflected on her medical timeout and said: "I started to feel a bit lost at the end of the first set.
"My head was spinning so I took a break and it helped me. I tried to get back and play a bit faster and it worked well.
"They checked my (blood) pressure, I was a bit lost and spinning. They cooled me down with ice and it helped me."
French Open winner Barty
refused to be drawn into a debate about the long break in play when she attended her press conference.
She insisted: "If she wasn't within the rules, the physios and the doctors would have said so.
"That's the laws of our game, is that we have those medical time-outs for cases that are needed.
"Obviously she needed that today. Completely within the rules for her to take that.
"From my point of view, I've played a lot of matches where there have been medical timeouts. I've taken medical timeouts myself before, so that shouldn't be a massive turning point in the match.
"I was disappointed that I let that become a turning point. I'm experienced enough now to be able to deal with that."
Jennifer Brady clinched a second consecutive last four appearance at a major with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over fellow American Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.
Brady, who reached the US Open semi-finals in August, recovered from losing the first set and being broken in the first game of the decider to fight back and knock out her good friend.
She said: "I know we will be having a lot more tough battles. Some may go her way, some may go mine. Luckily today it went mine and I am really happy to be moving onto the semi-finals."
World No 61 Pegula's fantastic journey in the tournament came to its conclusion despite a strong start where she won
12 consecutive points to seal the opener.
After 22nd seed Brady began to channel her growing frustration, winners became more
frequent and three breaks secured the second set.
When Pegula broke at the startofthethird,thebalanceof the tie looked set to turn once
more, but the player ranked 24 in the world responded in style to triumph in the next six games and set up a semi-final date with 25th seed Muchova.