Karolina Muchova’s medical timeout wasn’t the reason Ash Barty lost her match, writes Marc McGowan

The obvious finger-pointing has begun about Karolina Muchova’s medical timeout against Ash Barty. But it isn’t why she is out of the Open.

Ash Barty’s Australian Open is over. Picture: Michael Klein

Losing is tough to come to terms with.

Ash Barty’s unfathomable Australian Open exit from a set and 2-0 up on Wednesday has sparked a grieving period for an Australian public desperate for a successor to Chris O’Neil’s 1978 title triumph.

This was Australia’s great chance.

Barty is the world No. 1, won her lead-in tournament, hadn’t dropped a set so far in reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals, and wouldn’t have faced anyone ranked higher than 27th before the final.

However, the dream draw turned sour – and the obvious finger-pointing has begun about Barty conqueror Karolina Muchova’s medical timeout when trailing 1-2 in the second set.

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Karolina Muchova taking a medical timeout during her clash with Ash Barty. Picture: Michael Klein

Muchova held serve to love right before going off court, but at 6-1 2-0 to Barty, the winners v unforced errors offered an accurate depiction of what was a horribly lopsided contest.

At that stage, Barty had eight winners and seven unforced errors, while Muchova’s respective numbers were one and 18.

Yep, let’s stop blaming the MTO for why Ash Barty lost. She had mid-match lapses throughout #AusOpen and Yarra Valley Classic. This time, Barty didn’t recover. She’s a gem, but she was ordinary after the MTO. It happens. https://t.co/EUsh3s17d6

— Marc McGowan 🗣✍️👨🏻‍💻📰 (@ByMarcMcGowan) February 17, 2021

No wonder Muchova admitted post-match her head was spinning in the Melbourne heat.

The numbers after the match’s first nine games were wildly different, including the game before Muchova took her MTO.

Barty 13 winners, 30 unforced errors. Muchova 16 winners, 15 unforced errors.

As Australian tennis great, and coach of Hsieh Su-wei, Paul McNamee pointed out: “Ash Barty went from complete dominance to completely losing her way and unable to make basic shots.”

This wasn’t Barty’s first mid-match lapse this summer.

She dropped the second set in consecutive matches during her Yarra Valley Classic title run, and it was a similar story in her Australian Open victories over Daria Gavrilova and Ekaterina Alexandrova in rounds two and three.

Barty served for the Gavrilova match at 6-1 5-2, but needed a second-set tiebreak to get through.

Against Alexandrova, Barty slipped 2-4 behind in the second set after winning the first 6-2 in a canter – only to claim the final four games to clinch the win.

Barty addressed those lapses after the Alexandrova triumph.

“I feel like I’m learning on the go,” Barty said.

“Sometimes you have to give credit to your opponent and understand that they’re changing the way they’re going to play as well, (and) make that adjustment after the first set.

Ash Barty and Karolina Muchova at the net after the match. Picture: AFP Photo

“It’s been a focus of mine to continue to do all the right things; regardless of what the score is in the match, regardless of whether I’m a set up or set down, a break up, break down, or anything indifferent.

“It’s about going through all of my processes the exact same – regardless of the score – and making sure that I stick to that.”

Somewhere, somehow that process came unstuck against Muchova.

Barty’s effort to reach three straight Melbourne Park quarter-finals made her the first Australian to do so in 37 years, so she’s entered rarefied air.

Unfortunately, as with last year’s semi-final against eventual champion Sofia Kenin, Barty wasn’t able to deliver the final punch.