Barty implosion propels Muchova to Australian Open semifinal

With fans set to return on Wednesday following the lockdown in Melbourne, hometown hero Ashleigh Barty will be absent as the top seed was upset by Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

The World No.1, aiming to become the first Australian to win the Open since 1978, was eliminated by Karolina Muchova in a rollercoaster quarterfinal match on Rod Laver Arena. The World No.27 survived an opening onslaught by Barty to reach her first Major semifinal, prevailing 1-6 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 57 minutes.

Barty looked primed for an easy win, taking the first set in just over 20 minutes. Conversely, Muchova appeared intimidated and was broken twice before finally getting on the scoreboard. The 25th seed was broken again in the second set, before taking a medical timeout while trailing 1-2.

However, the Czech seemed to find another gear once play resumed as she attacked with renewed energy and vigor. Perhaps affected by the lull in play, Barty's confidence began to wane as more errors crept into her game. Muchova proceeded to win five of the next six games, taking the second set and forcing a decider.

The lack of a live crowd proved to benefit Muchova, as the partisan fans would undoubtedly have tried to spur on the Aussie. However, Barty was unable to adapt to her opponent's new-found confidence, as she struggled to fend off the Czech's aggressive play. An early break by Muchova saw Barty lose more momentum, and a second break sealed her fate. Muchova would go on to serve for the match, securing her semifinal spot with an ace.

With her first Grand Slam semifinal ticket booked, Muchova awaits the winner of the all-American clash between last year's US Open semifinalist Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula.