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Australian Open 2021 day 10 live: Ash Barty refuses to blame medical timeout for shock loss to Karolina Muchova

The world No 1 has refused to blame a controversial medical timeout for her surprise quarter-final loss.

Courtney Walsh and Adrian McMurray
18 min read
10:31AMFebruary 17, 2021.
Updated 6:01PMFebruary 17, 2021

Ash Barty is out of the Australian Open, falling to Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals. Muchova made a miraculous comeback following a medical timeout, but the world No 1 refused to blame the controversial moment for her loss. See how the rest of the day unfolded below.

Adrian McMurray5.38pm:Medvedev through in straight sets

Daniil Medvedev is through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open following a straight sets victory over compatriot Andrey Rublev.

The fourth seed took just over two hours to clinch the 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory, with Rublev fading in the heat towards the end of the match.

Medvedev, who has now won his last 19 matches, will face either Tsitsipas or Nadal in the semis.

Adrian McMurray5.09pm:Rublev feels the heat on centre court

Medvedev takes a two-set lead, winning the second 6-3 in 42 minutes.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic – one rally lasting 43 shots – but Rublev is starting to struggle in the heat on centre court.

Coming in to the quarter-final he was yet to drop a set all tournament, only losing one set this summer and that came at the ATP Cup. This is the first time he’s been seriously challenged and he’s not handling it well. Will someone get the man a damp cloth?!

A good player never blames his equipment but Rublev’s racquet also gave way on him during the set, a string snapping during the point – not something we see too often these days.

Medvedev had racquet issues of his own during the set, when his dampener went missing. A ball girl thought she found it and carried it over, but it appears it was a feather. Strange times on Rod Laver Arena.

Courtney Walsh4.52pm:Reigning champion Sofia Kenin hospitalised

Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was hospitalised with acute appendicitis at the end of a difficult summer in Melbourne.

The American, who was convincingly beaten by Kaia Kanepi and then fell to unranked Australian Olivia Gadecki in a WTA Tour event this week, has been extremely ill, she revealed in a statement.

“I went to the tournament physician office on Monday, February 15 with acute abdominal pain,” she said.

“I was evaluated by the tournament physician and referred to the hospital for further evaluation. Acute appendicitis was diagnosed following the completion of the CT scan.

“I had to have surgery and had my appendix removed on Monday, February 15 at Epworth Hospital (in) Richmond. I want to thank everyone at Epworth Hospital … for taking good care of me.”

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley was among those to wish last year’s champion his best wishes.

Adrian McMurray4.20pm:Medvedev takes first set

Daniil Medvedev has gone one set up over fellow Russian Andrey Rublev in their quarter-final on Rod Laver Arena.

In a tight opening set, the fourth seed prevailed 7-5 with a huge final game, breaking Rublev to love to take the set in 46 minutes.

Courtney Walsh3.27pm:Muchova explains her timeout

Karolina Muchova said she struggled to cope with the heat and felt dizzy on the court.

“It got to me. I was feeling kind of dizzy at some point, like really, really lost and almost fainting. So, yeah, I just asked for help,” she said.

“(The trainers) definitely cooled me down with the ice. I was a bit in a shadow. (The) doctor checked my pressure, my temperature and everything. I think the ice thing was the main one.”

Picture: Michael Klein
Picture: Michael Klein

Adrian McMurray3.20pm:Brady to face Muchova for spot in final

Jennifer Brady has powered through to the Australian Open semi-finals, coming from a set down to defeat fellow American Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-2 6-1 in 1hr 40min.

The 22nd seed was surprised in the first but didn’t waste any time in making amends, dropping just three games en route to the semi-finals. Plenty of love between the pair, who embraced at the net post-match.

Jennifer Brady. Picture: Getty Images
Jennifer Brady. Picture: Getty Images

This will be Brady’s second slam semis appearance after she made it there at the US Open last year, and says she hopes she makes a habit of making finals in the future.

She credits her trainer and coach for her rise.

“I’ve been putting in the hard yards with my trainer, Daniel. The big guy over there,” she says. “He really pushes me and also Michael, my coach, on the court. We are getting better every single day and every day is another opportunity.”

With fans set to be allowed back in from Thursday morning after the Victorian lockdown was lifted, Brady says she’s excited to play in front of people again.

“In New York, it was an empty stadium so it will be a new atmosphere for me to play the semi-finals of the grand slam in front of fans and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Brady will face Muchova for a place in the final.

Adrian McMurray2.53pm:All square in all-American clash

It’s been very much a tale of two sets between Americans Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula.

The unseeded Pegula stormed to the first set 6-4 in 33 minutes, but Brady wasn’t about to roll over, hitting back 6-2 to take the second in 36 minutes.

The pair have traded breaks to begin the deciding third set, 1-all.

Courtney Walsh2.39pm:‘I lost my way’: Barty on the timeout and her shock loss

Ash Barty has described her loss in an Australian Open quarterfinal that got away from her at Melbourne Park on Wednesday as heartbreaking.

The Australian played superbly for the first ten games of her quarterfinal against Karolina Muchova but was a different player after her rival took a medical timeout in the second set.

After a composed and controlled first set, the errors began to fly regularly from the Queenslander as her rival lifted her quality of play significantly to win 1-6 6-3 6-2.

“I felt like I lost control of the ball a little bit,” Barty said.

A frustrated Ash Barty during her quarter-final loss. Picture: Michael Klein
A frustrated Ash Barty during her quarter-final loss. Picture: Michael Klein

“At times I was overplaying, missing quite a few long and wide. Then at other times (I) tried to rein it in a little bit too much and overcompensated.

“I think there was a little bit of a battle of trying to figure out a way to bring my range back in (and) try not to press too much often.

“I felt like I lost my way with overplaying, overpressing, not letting myself work into the points and really construct points as well as I’d like to.”

But the world No 1 refused to place any blame on the break taken by Muchova which changed the momentum of the match, reiterating her rival was playing within the rules.

“It’s within the rules. She’s within her rights to take that time. If she wasn’t within the rules, the physios and the doctors would have said so,” she said.

“That’s the laws of our game, is that we have those medical timeouts 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.

Karolina Muchova received treatment during her quarter-final win over Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images
Karolina Muchova received treatment during her quarter-final win over Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images

“I was disappointed that I let that become a turning point. I’m experienced enough now to be able to deal with that. It’s a disappointment today without a doubt. But we learn and we move on.”

Barty returned to the tour after an 11-month sabbatical due to COVID-19 with eight wins, which included a success in a WTA Tour event in the first week of February.

But the 24-year-old was unable to find a solution that allowed her to slow Muchova’s momentum once the Czech seized control in the second set.

The Australian was particularly disappointed with her returning, which had been so strong prior to the dip in concentration and quality.

The Roland Garros champion is planning to head to the Middle East for a period of events, but the difficulties of travelling internationally at the moment means she will be on the road for an extended period of time.

“We’ve planned and we’ve entered to play a few of the tour events coming up in the Middle East,” she said.

“Right from the get-go, obviously it’s the first time we’ve looked to travel for quite some time now. We’ll sit back and kind of go through all of the health risks that are at this stage and to where we’re going, then we just work from there.

“It’s a tricky one because I think the health of my team and myself will always be the priority, no matter what.

“In a way, there is no nervousness because I feel like we’ll make the right decisions that are kind of the best for us. We’ll make the right decisions for the right reasons.

“That kind of takes away any of the nerves or concerns knowing that we can put full trust in, if we travel, when we travel, but the right health guidelines we put in place.”

Courtney Walsh1.23pm:‘I felt a bit lost’: Medical timeout drama in Barty boilover

The Australian Open dream of Ash Barty for 2021 is over after she was upset by powerful Czech Karolina Muchova in a quarterfinal on Wednesday.

The world No 1 was controlling the match until her rival took a medical timeout in the early stages of the second set which completely changed the momentum.

From leading 6-1 2-1 in just over 30 minutes, Barty was beaten 1-6 6-3 6-2 in just under two hours by a rival who excelled the longer the match went.

Barty won eight of the 10 games played prior to the timeout. By the time she sat in the chair at the first change of ends in the third set, she had lost eight of the next 10.

Muchova attributed the medical timeout, which came while trailing a service break in the second set, to feeling frazzled and unwell on the court.

Karolina Muchova receives medical attention. Picture: AFP
Karolina Muchova receives medical attention. Picture: AFP

“I started feeling a bit lost by the end of the first set,” she said.

“I was a bit lost on the court and my head was spinning and it helped me.

“It was more to check my pressure. They cooled me down a bit with ice and it helped me.”

There will be a focus on the break, but it is part and parcel of professional tennis. The Australian would usually put such a distraction behind her without pause.

But in the infancy of a comeback from 11 months off the circuit, in which Barty won eight straight matches, it proved enough to cause a drastic shift in the respective levels of the two rivals.

Muchova, who awaits the winner of a clash between Americans Jennifer Brady and Jess Pegula, deserves great credit for her ability to regroup after being overwhelmed by the early brilliance of Barty.

The 24-year-old possesses a well-rounded game with many similarities to the Queenslander, which includes the ability to sizzle a slice backhand and volley with quality.

“I just tried to put the ball in and go for it,” Muchova said.

“I played a bit faster and went to the net, and I think that was the key in the end.

“It was tough. It was the first time for me. I just tried to think about the next ball and I am happy I handled it well.”

The Australian star will clearly be disappointed to have let slip a golden opportunity, particularly after such an excellent start.

The dip in concentration proved costly, but more problematic was the slide in the quality of her returning.

Barty had opportunities to stop the match from slipping away late in the second set and early in the third but could not muster the quality she had produced early in the tournament and also in the infancy of the match.

The top seed started in sparkling form, reeling off the opening five games of the match. She was able to dictate proceedings with her serve, drawing free points where needed or setting it up to allow her to rifle a winner.

Ash Barty. Picture: Michael Klein
Ash Barty. Picture: Michael Klein

The serve down the middle to the advantage court was particularly effective, with the Australian able to stretch her rival repeatedly there.

Muchova also showed great variety. The Czech charged the net on occasion, switched from slice to topspin with regularity and tried to change the pace of the ball. But Barty did it far better.

It took 21 minutes for Muchova to win a game. Three minutes later she was a set in arrears.

The 2019 Roland Garros champion started the second set in a similar fashion to the first when breaking immediately.

It was not that the 25th seed was striking the ball badly – her quality of shot making was strong. But the excellence of Barty’s court coverage and defence meant that she either had to hit an extra ball in a point or went for too much in order to win it, with errors occurring regularly as a result.

But then came the medical timeout that changed the momentum of the set.

She had cited a stomach muscle problem when withdrawing from a lead-in event but there was nothing evident in her performance. The break came immediately after she had just held serve to love.

On resumption, Barty’s level dipped slightly and she dropped her first service game of the quarterfinal.

There were suddenly signs that the bounce of the ball, with a dead netcord an example, was spinning away from the local star as Muchova reeled off three games in succession to edge ahead.

Barty exits centre court for the last time this tournament. Picture: AFP
Barty exits centre court for the last time this tournament. Picture: AFP

The ledger measuring winners to unforced errors had been firmly in Barty’s favour prior to the timeout but it moved far closer to level and then into the red for Barty after play resumed.

The Australian faced break points again at 2-3 but was able to save one with an ace and the other by forcing a forehand error.

She had two opportunities of her own to edge ahead on the Muchova serve in the following game, including a point where she made the Czech play five consecutive overhead smashes.

But Barty was unable to seize the chance, in part due to the quality of her rival’s play.

The Queenslander was forced to fight hard to hold on in her next service game, saving three break points before succumbing on the fourth when netting a forehand of the type of short, slicing return she herself uses with great effectiveness.

After 1hr 16min, the quarterfinal was heading into a deciding set.

The start of the third set was scarcely encouraging for the world No 1, who was broken again.

Muchova had won 10 of the previous 11 points to seize the upper hand in the contest.

The 2019 WTA Finals champion had opportunities to retrieve the break immediately but they too went begging as Muchova continued to blast forehands.

The margin between the pair was fine but it was the Czech winning the key points as she reeled off five games in succession to move to a 2-0 lead in the third set.

Barty had returned brilliantly in the opening four rounds but from midway through the second set that strength evaporated. And when she dropped serve again at 2-4, the chance to become the player to end a drought for local champions dating back to Chris O’Neil in 1978 was all but dashed.

Adrian McMurray1.12pm:Barty out in Open boilover

Barty gets a break point chance but Muchova saves it with a powerful forehand winner. But she earns another chance, forcing Muchova into an error. Muchova finds the baseline and forces another Barty error, but a double fault gives Barty another break point … which Muchova saves with another shot deep to the Barty forehand, the Australian scrambling but hitting the net. A Barty error gives Muchova match point, and she finishes it with an ace! She wins 1-6 6-3 6-2 to progress to her first grand slam semi-final in 1hr and 57min.

Adrian McMurray1.01pm:Muchova to serve for the match

Muchova returns the favour, holding to love to go ahead 4-2.

And she gets the double break! Barty collects the net and Muchova moves to 5-2 and will serve for a place in the semis.

“If I’m ever having a bad day, I’m calling that WTA trainer. A miracle worker,” Jim Courier says. I second that!

Adrian McMurray12.54pm:Pair trade service games

Muchova holds, she’s up 3-1. The 25th seed is starting to miss a few first serves but Barty isn’t capitalising at the moment.

Barty fires back holding to love in just over a minute! Let’s see if she can find a break here. Muchova leads 3-2.

Adrian McMurray12.46pm:Important hold for Barty

Barty holds. She was down 0-30 but an unforced error gave her a chance, and she took it with three winners to see the game out. Important hold. Muchova up 2-1.

Adrian McMurray12.44pm: Muchova hits the front

Wow, Muchova hits the front for the first time in the match, breaking the Barty serve to start the third set. And after a long game (almost seven minutes), Muchova holds … she leads 2-0 in the third. How will Barty respond from here?

Adrian McMurray12.31pm:Muchova takes second set

Muchova holds to love and takes the second set 6-3 in 52 minutes! Wow. The turnaround since the medical timeout has been astonishing. It was 2-1 Barty at that point, and Muchova won five of the next six games. She’s been doing everything she can to slow things down, dictate the way this one’s being played after Barty threatened to blow her away early on. “This is a big surprise,” Jim Courier says in commentary. We’re off to a third.

Adrian McMurray12.28pm:Muchova to serve for the set

Double fault from Barty to begin the next game. Muchova has a chance to break, but Barty saves the game as Muchova volleys into the net. Great scrambling shot from Barty to force the error. Another double fault hands Muchova the break point, Muchova going to her towel between points, frustrating Ash. The Australian collects the net and Muchova gets the break! She’s up 5-3 in the second and serving for the set.

Adrian McMurray12.20pm:Muchova’s huge turnaround continues

Muchova has the chance for another break, but Barty forces the error to save the game. And she forces another two errors to hold the game, we’re locked at 3-all now. Muchova back on serve. She has a chance to keep it on serve at 40-15, but fluffs her lines. Barty battles back to get the break point but slices into the net on the second serve. A wayward volley from Muchova gives Barty another chance … but Muchova saves it in a rally featuring five smashes! Huge forehand winner now offers Muchova the change to hold. And she does! Huge game that lasted 8min 26sec. Muchova leads 4-3 in the second.

Adrian McMurray12.06pm:Muchova fires after medical timeout

Muchova’s back out and she’s good to go. Good to see. Barty begins with an ace but then four unforced errors hands Muchova the break. She then holds and hits the front 3-2. Jeez, that medical timeout has turned this second set on its head. All Barty’s momentum seems to have disappeared. Let’s see how she responds.

Adrian McMurray11.55am:Muchova takes medical timeout

The medicos are out to check on Muchova between games. It doesn’t look like she’s struggling with any injury in particular, they take her temperature and she walks with them off the court. She’s really struggled today … is she unwell? We’ll find out more shortly.

Adrian McMurray11.51am:Small glimmer of hope for Muchova?

Barty begins the second where she left off with a break. Unforced errors aren’t helping Muchova’s cause. Quick hold and Barty’s up 2-0. But Muchova produces her best game of the match, holding to love in just over a minute to keep it to 2-1 Barty’s way. A small glimmer of hope for Muchova?

Adrian McMurray11.38am:Barty takes first set 6-1

Muchova holds. Four unforced errors from Barty in the game gives the 25th seed something to take away from the first set. But you’d imagine the Australian will tidy this up in her next service game … and she does! Muchova is much improved but Barty’s too good, taking the set 6-1 in 24 minutes. Wow!

Adrian McMurray11.31am:‘Runaway train’: Barty races through first set

Barty races to a 4-0 lead with another break. three consecutive unforced errors and a double fault gives the world No 1 the game.

She then holds her service game to love … she leads 5-0 after just 16 minutes!

“This is a runaway train right now,” Jim Courier says in commentary. Barty’s won 20 points to Muchova’s 7.

Adrian McMurray11.25am:Barty’s clinical start

We’re underway on centre court, and Barty has powered to a 3-0 lead in just nine minutes. This is clinical from the world No 1 so far!

Adrian McMurray10.51am:Big day begins with Barty-Muchova

What a day we’ve got ahead of us. First up it’s Australia’s Ash Barty against Karolina Muchova for a place in the semi-finals. That begins in a little over 10 minutes. Then from 1pm, it’s an all-American affair in the other quarter-final when 22nd seed Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula take to centre court. Following on from that it’s the two Russian men vying for a place in the semis: seventh seed Andrey Rublev and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in action. Tonight from 7.30pm it’s a clash of two heavyweights: fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal. To round out the night it’s the quad wheelchair singles final between Australia’s Dylan Alcott and Sam Schroder.

If you missed it last night, Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Alex Zverev in a match that extended to the wee hours of this morning.

Adrian McMurray10.37am:Barty, in her own words, on family and future goals

We’ve got a lovely piece here from none other than the world No 1 herself discussing her upbringing and plans for the future. I’m sure you’ll agree after reading it that Ash and the Barty family are the best. Some highlights below.

On life lessons: “We were also taught to live by our every decision and, in every choice we made, to live with the consequences whether good or bad. It was amazing to have that trust and belief from your parents from such a young age. It puts oxygen into your lungs, makes you walk taller and fills you with confidence.”

On being an aunty: “At the moment being an aunty to three is my favourite job in the world. It was definitely the silver lining of 2020, spending nine or 10 months at home to watch them grow into little people. All I want to do is bring a smile to their faces, particularly my eldest niece Lucy, who is four and a half. She loves tennis and walked out with me during the Fed Cup final in 2019. Just as I was empowered as a child, I want her to be confident and to be passionate. I want her to love what she does and know that whatever she chooses to do in her life is perfect. It’s enough.”

On the future: “Looking to the future, I’m working towards that North Star and that tournament is still Wimbledon. I would love to be able to call myself an Olympian, too. I’ve missed out a few times by the skin of my teeth, so hopefully the pandemic doesn’t get in the way of that again this year … And also enjoying it along the way – smelling the roses and sharing it with the people I love most. I think I’m in a very special position now with my family and with my team and if for whatever reason it all ended tomorrow, I would be more than okay with that. It’s a really nice place to be in, knowing that everything from now is very much a bonus.”

Read the full story here.

Courtney Walsh10.15am:Barty v Muchova: The clash that changed their careers

The last time Ash Barty played Karolina Muchova there was more than an element of New York madness about the occasion.

The pair will clash for just the second time in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open on Wednesday on a cavernous Rod Laver Arena.

It’s a far cry from the back courts of Flushing Meadow, the scene of their third round clash at the US Open in 2018 when chaos was the order of the day.

On that occasion their match was first delayed, then shunted from court to court all the while a cold snap had hit New York.

In the shadows cast by the world’s biggest tennis arena, Arthur Ashe Stadium, lie three courts side-by-side. It is a throwback to club tennis.

Read the full story here.

Will Swanton10am:How Ash is stringing us along her power Open ride

Thwock, thwock, thwock. Here’s the string theory behind Ash Barty’s Australian Open charge. The staggering success of the equipment change that started on gut instinct and ended with Barty threading old-fashioned cow intestines through a racquet she’s brandishing with the aplomb of a concert violinist.

Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images
Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images

Everything Barty hoped she would receive from using the sort of strings preferred a century ago by artisans wielding wooden racquets … it’s working a treat for her at Melbourne Park.

Thwock, thwock, thwock. Barty has always played a beautiful game. Early US Opens were played with classical musicians performing in the background and while spectators are strictly prohibited from Rod Laver Arena, they could wheel out the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and it wouldn’t be out of place during Barty’s matches.

Read the full story here.

Read related topics:Australian Open Tennis

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2021-day-10-live-the-clash-that-changed-the-careers-of-ash-barty-karolina-muchova/news-story/f673498489d82a55a65c93cb2e482943