Rafael Nadal insists he was not struggling with injury as he crashed out of the Australian Open but acknowledged a lack of match practice could have contributed to his quarter-final collapse against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 20-time grand slam champion was dealing with a back issue at the start of the tournament, although he managed to advance to the last eight without dropping a set.
That impressive run appeared set to continue as Nadal won the opening two sets against fifth seed Tsitsipas, only for the match to turn on its head after a tie-break in the third
Tsitsipas emerged a 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 winner after just over four hours, becoming only the second player – after Fabio Fognini – to triumph from two sets down against Nadal at a major.
Post-match questions put to Nadal predictably centred on the potential impact of his back woe, but he insisted there was no physical pain on Wednesday.
However, reflecting on "just another story in my tennis career", the Spaniard repeatedly referred to the difficulty of preparing for a tournament amid such problems.
"I think I was in great condition before here," he said. "Then I've been a bit unfortunate for what happened for 20 days, and then I fight back to play, I think, decent tennis.
"Today wasn't enough. It was close, just that's tennis. That's all. That's the sport. One player wins; the other loses.
"Today I lost, so the only thing that I can do is try to be better next time, and today congratulate him."
Claiming the key was instead two costly mini-breaks in the breaker, Nadal added: "I am not complaining much.
"I think physically, it has been a very humid day out there. Physically I was not fantastic but not bad, you know? I was able to fight until the end, and that's it.
"The whole issue is I missed an easy smash at the beginning of the third, an easy forehand with 2-1 in the tie-break, and then another smash in that tie-break.
"That tie-break I made a couple of mistakes that I can't make to win the match. He played well then later. Well done."
Nadal was chasing a record-breaking 21st major championship, yet only one of those triumphs has come in Melbourne – back in 2009.
The 34-year-old has lost four finals, as well as regularly dealing with injury concerns at the first slam of the season.
But asked if he felt "cursed", he responded firmly: "No. No, no, no. That's sport. Sometimes things go well; other times things goes worse.
"Unfortunately for me, in this tournament, I had more injuries than in the others. Then matches that you lose like today against one of the best players of the world is something that happens.
"No, no, no. Not at all feeling unlucky for me and not at all complaining about my luck here in Australia.
"Everyone has what we deserve. Tennis isn't a sport that is fair. I have what I deserved in my career, and over here in Australia I had chances, but I was not able to convert it. That's all. I didn't deserve more."
Use of the word "unlucky" brought a similar response, as Nadal insisted he was not looking for excuses.
"We can find excuses or reasons or maybe this quarantine that we need to be more time in the room than usual, yes, maybe," he said. "But I am not the guy that is going to find excuses on that or going to complain about what happened, no.
"Just accept. I never considered myself an unlucky person at all. It doesn't matter the injuries that I had. I think I am very lucky person.
"The only thing that I can do is just keep going. I put myself in a position, even with the challenges that I faced, that I was in quarter-finals with two sets up, close to being in the semi-finals.
"So, it has been a chance lost, yes, but life continues. I hope to keep having chances. Well, I'm going to keep fighting for it."
Stefanos Tsitsipas struggled to explain how he pulled off a remarkable turnaround against Rafael Nadal to reach the last four of the Australian Open.
The fifth seed had only once before beaten Nadal and was facing a seventh career defeat to the 20-time grand slam champion as he fell two sets behind on Rod Laver Arena.
Instead, Tsitsipas rallied after a third-set tie-break to triumph 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 and advance to a semi-final against Daniil Medvedev.
The Greek joined Fabio Fognini, at the 2015 US Open, as the only players to overturn a two-set deficit to beat Nadal at a major.
Victory had seemed particularly remote as Tsitsipas struggled to make any inroads on Nadal's serve. He won only 10 receiving points across the first two sets - two of those coming courtesy of double faults - and had to wait until the final game before the breaker in the third to add an 11th.
Then, to the victor's bemusement, the match turned, ending Nadal's run of 35 consecutive set wins at grand slams.
"I have no words to describe what has just happened on the court," Tsitsipas said. "My tennis speaks for itself.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to fight at such a high level and leave it out on the court. I started very nervously.
"I don't know what happened after the third set. I flew like a bird and everything worked for me."
Tsitsipas, who made just four unforced errors in the pivotal third set, added: "I focused on staying calm and holding my nerves today. I have failed to do so in some of my matches.
"I stayed calm in the tight moments and I kept everything to myself. I am really happy with the attitude that I showed on the court."
Now Tsitsipas must take on another player he has only previously defeated once, although that win came in his most recent meeting with Medvedev in 2019.
"He plays very well and has been very consistent, with lots of consecutive wins," Tsitsipas said. "I need to recover and have a good ice bath.
"I am looking forward to the match and each match I play here is an opportunity to play my best tennis. It will be amazing to see the crowds again."
Rafael Nadal suffered a remarkable collapse to exit the Australian Open at the quarter-final stage despite earlier leading Stefanos Tsitsipas by two sets.
Only once in Nadal's grand slam career had he previously let a two-set lead slip and such a slump appeared entirely improbable as he dominated Tsitsipas on Rod Laver Arena.
But the 20-time major champion, chasing a record-breaking 21st title, struggled to recover his momentum after dropping a set for the first time in the tournament when the third went to a tie-break.
The courageous Tsitsipas grew in confidence and landed a momentous second career win over Nadal to reach a third slam semi after a four-hour 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 epic.
A third member of the France backroom team has tested positive for coronavirus, but the players have been cleared to continue their isolation at home after returning negative results.
The French Rugby Federation confirmed on Tuesday that head coach Fabien Galthie and an unnamed member of staff were positive for COVID-19 and would self-isolate for seven days.
Following another round of testing later that day, assistant coach William Servat returned a positive result.
However, with all players testing negative for the second time in succession, they were permitted to return home on Wednesday.
Further coronavirus tests will be carried out at their homes on Friday and on Sunday, when the players return to the National Rugby Centre in Marcoussis.
France, who won their opening two Six Nations games against Italy and Ireland, are scheduled to face Scotland in Paris on February 28.
The squad for that game is due to be announced on Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Bucks should not be in "panic mode" despite their worst losing run in almost three years, according to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have led the NBA over the past two regular seasons but are now on a four-game losing streak for the first time since March 2018, falling to 16-12.
Their latest setback came at home to the Toronto Raptors, who closed out a 124-113 win on Tuesday, led by Fred VanVleet's 33 points.
Milwaukee, who host Toronto again on Thursday, have allowed 123 points per game over this miserable stretch and have missed Jrue Holiday, who has been out for five games due to health and safety protocols.
But two-time reigning MVP Antetokounmpo insisted the poor run is "not the end of the world".
"I kind of have a feeling that everybody is in a panic mode, which should not be the case," he said after contributing 34 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and two blocks against the Raptors.
"We should keep improving, we should keep playing good basketball, we should watch the film, and at the end of the day, we've got to go out there and compete. When you come here, nothing can be easy."
He added: "At the end of the day, we lost four in a row; we're not going home. We're still here. It's not the playoffs.
"Obviously, it's frustrating. We want to win, especially a game like this. A big game, guys playing hard.
"You want to come out and win the game, but it doesn't always go your way. But you've always got to look at the bright side of it. You still have another opportunity on Thursday.
"So, keep getting better, watch the film, improve, keep everybody in a good place, and it's not the end of the world right now."
Antetokounmpo acknowledged Holiday's absence has been keenly felt.
The former New Orleans Pelicans guard has a team-best plus/minus of 7.5, posting 16.4 points and 5.4 assists while also leading the Bucks in steals (44 at 1.9 per game).
"We have to be better," Antetokounmpo said. "Obviously, one of our best players on the team and playmakers and best defenders on the team is not playing with us.
"Obviously, it's not an excuse. I'm not a guy that gives excuses. But it's a big part of who we are, and we need him."
Steve Nash said the Brooklyn Nets were "rightfully excited" about "a great morale booster" after a sensational fightback against the Phoenix Suns.
The Nets were down 24 points late in the second quarter and 21 at halftime, failing to lead at any point until a clutch James Harden three with 31.4 seconds remaining.
Harden added late free throws to clinch an epic 128-124 win, the first in franchise history after trailing by 21 points or more through two quarters.
The victory came despite Kyrie Irving's absence with tightness in his lower back, while Kevin Durant remained out due to a hamstring injury.
Coach Nash said of the locker room post-game: "It's all vibes in there right now, all vibes.
"The guys are rightfully excited. It's a great morale booster, especially missing Kevin and Ky and finding a way to make up for a 24-point deficit.
"We showed a lot of character, a lot of heart, and as a coaching staff, that just makes you proud."
Harden carried the team in the closing stages when the Nets went on a 12-0 run over the final two and a half minutes.
The last team to trail by at least eight points at that stage of a game before scoring 12 or more unanswered points to win were the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant's final game in 2016.
Harden contributed 38 points - his most since moving to Brooklyn - along with 11 assists and seven rebounds, but he hailed the effort of the whole team.
"This is the true definition of a team; one man, two men go down, it's just next man up," he said.
"We got down 20-something at halftime and we didn't give up, we didn't quit, kept fighting. We cut the deficit down, kept fighting, and gave ourselves the chance to win it at the end of the game. Things went our way."
It does not get any easier for the Nets now, though, with defending champions the Lakers up next.
"We know who they have over there," Nash said. "We know how well they're coached and what they've been able to do in the last year or so.
"So it's a great test for us. You load the guys up and be ready to go and try to keep getting better."
But Harden is focused only on Brooklyn's continued improvement as they aim to extend a four-match winning run, over which Harden has averaged 26.3 points per game.
"Obviously, offensively we're really, really good," he said. "Defensively, we're not so great.
"So we have to find ways to be better in that category, which we all know. We're working on that, and whether it's the Lakers or any other team, that doesn't get us excited because we're still working on ourselves, if that makes sense.
"Obviously, we understand that calibre of team we're playing. But then the whole situation is we are working on ourselves."
Rugby World Cup-winning South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has officially signed with the Sharks.
Kolisi was at the weekend released from his contract with the Stormers, which had been due to expire in October, upon the acceptance of a transfer fee.
The 29-year-old flanker was expected to join Durban-based franchise the Sharks and that move was confirmed on Wednesday.
Kolisi made 118 Super Rugby appearances in his 11 years with the Stormers, for whom only Schalk Burger (123) managed more.
Jennifer Brady believes a two-week hard quarantine upon arriving in Australia helped her make a run to the semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
As one of the 72 Australian Open entrants that had potentially been exposed to COVID-19 on chartered flights to Melbourne, Brady was forced to stay in a hotel room for a fortnight ahead of the first grand slam of the year.
However, the 25-year-old booked her place in the final four on Wednesday by coming from behind to defeat Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-2 6-1 in an hour and 40 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
While some players voiced their displeasure with the conditions they were faced with in self-isolation, Brady felt the period served her well.
"I was pretty much going non-stop since June of last year. I was playing World TeamTennis, then played tournaments in the US, then went over to Europe and was training in Europe till December," said Brady.
"I didn't have any weeks off. Mentally I was feeling a little bit fried, to be honest. I think I used that two weeks to kind of reset mentally and also physically, just give myself, my mind, my body a little bit of a rest.
"I would say I didn't really have high expectations on myself to do well. I came out of the quarantine, and then we were lucky enough to have a separate tournament for us who were in the hard lockdown. I was lucky to get a couple matches in there before starting here in the Australian Open."
The 22nd seed will take on Karolina Muchova in the last four, the Czech having stunned world number one Ash Barty earlier in the day. In the other half of the draw, Serena Williams will take on Naomi Osaka.
Brady hopes to get an opportunity to challenge herself against 39-year-old veteran Williams, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th major singles title.
"I think just being in the same draw as Serena is obviously... when she retires, if she retires, it's going to be something I'll be extremely grateful for. I hope I get to play her before she retires," said Brady.
"Yeah, I think she's the G.O.A.T. She's the greatest of all time and definitely will be the greatest of all time."
Brady made her first grand slam semi-final appearance at last year's US Open, when Williams and Osaka were also in the final four.
She suffered a three-set loss to Osaka on that occasion, but she is pleased to be performing on a par with the Japanese and Williams.
"I think it says a lot. They're obviously great, great tennis players, champions of the sport. To be categorised in the same group as them, I'll take that as an honour," said Brady.
"I think it's a huge achievement for me to make the semi-finals here. I look to make the finals, so we'll see."
Only Muchova stands between Brady and a first major final and fans will be able to attend after lockdown was lifted in Victoria, with a crowd of 7,477 – approximately 50 per cent capacity – allowed for each session.
Brady said of her next opponent: "She's crafty. She looks to move forward, has an all-court game. She's really athletic.
"I hope it will be a good, competitive match. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Daniil Medvedev secured his first Australian Open semi-final berth after continuing his domination of fellow Russian Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
Medvedev starred in the Melbourne heat as countryman Rublev faded, winning 7-5 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday to reach his third grand slam semi-final, equalling Alex Metreveli for third place on the Open Era list for most major semis by a Russian man.
World number four Medvedev – the fifth Russian man to reach the Australian Open semis in the Open Era, after Metreveli (1972), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1999-2000), Marat Safin (2002, 2004-05) and Aslan Karatsev (2021) – will face either 20-time slam champion Rafael Nadal or Stefanos Tsitsipas for a spot in the decider.
Medvedev and Rublev were meeting for the fourth time on the ATP Tour – their second in a grand slam quarter-final, with the former winning all previous meetings in straight sets.
Runner-up at the 2019 US Open, Medvedev had a glimpse on Rublev's serve before breaking in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead, only to hand the break straight back to his countryman.
The tense battle continued behind closed doors on Rod Laver Arena as a tie-break loomed large, until Medvedev closed out the 46-minute set on Rublev's serve.
It was a similar theme in the second set, with little separating the two Russian hopefuls under the warm Melbourne sun.
Rublev, who won five ATP Tour titles last year – more than any other player, while earning a joint-best 41 wins in 2020 alongside world number one Novak Djokovic, continued to take the match to Medvedev.
Three break-point chances came Rublev's way in the seventh game, but he was unable to convert and Medvedev made him pay as the world number four broke the very next game before earning a two-sets-to-love lead.
Rublev – eyeing his first slam semi – deteriorated in the warm conditions, often hunched over between points while trying to keep cool in the shade, as Medvedev cruised.
Data Slam: Medvedev extends streak
There is no stopping Medvedev at the moment after he extended his winning streak to 19 matches, already a career-best run – dating back to the Vienna Open last October.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Medvedev – 30/33
Rublev – 20/39
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Medvedev – 14/4
Rublev – 8/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Medvedev – 5/11
Rublev – 1/5
LeBron James' double-double fired the Los Angeles Lakers back to winning ways, while James Harden stepped up to rally the Kyrie Irving-less Brooklyn Nets past the high-flying Phoenix Suns.
James put up 30 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists as the reigning NBA champions leaned on their defense in the 112-104 victory over the last-placed Minnesota Timberwolves.
Without the injured Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroder played the supporting role for James, posting 24 points, while the Lakers battled to claim eight steals and seven blocks in a closely fought contest.
After taking a two-point lead into the fourth quarter at Target Center, the road side pulled away in the closing stages to improve to 22-7 in second place in the Western Conference.
Harden pulled out the stops with a double-double to lead the Nets to a sensational 128-124 comeback win against the Suns, despite playing without Irving after the star guard felt tightness in his lower back.
Nets coach Steve Nash revealed Irving received treatment at half-time of Brooklyn's win against the Sacramento Kings on Monday but expects the six-time All-Star to only be sidelined in the short term.
The Nets surged, scoring 40 fourth-quarter points to turn around a 24-point deficit, with Harden (38 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds) backed up by Joe Harris (22 points) as they halted the Suns' six-game winning streak.
Jokic burns Celtics but Nuggets fall short, Zion on target for Pelicans
Nikola Jokic lit up the Boston Celtics, scoring 43 points, but the Denver Nuggets could still not make triple-digits as their three-game winning stretch was ended in a 112-99 loss.
Zion Williamson shot an efficient 31 points, sinking 13 of his 16 field-goal efforts and going four-of-four from the free-throw line, as the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a three-match losing run with a 144-113 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard’s 31-point, 10-assist double-double led the Portland Trail Blazers past the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 115-104 win, while centre Enes Kanter pulled down 21 rebounds.
Bazley struggles to take his chances
The Thunder never recovered against the Blazers after falling 34-21 behind in the first quarter and forward Darius Bazley was one player that could not find his range.
Bazley shot four from 16 from the field for 14 points during his 36 minutes on court, only dropping one his seven efforts from three-point range.
Giannis powers up but the Raps edge the Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo proved unplayable at times, scoring 34 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 124-113 loss against the Toronto Raptors, as he ghosted past three defenders for one of his buckets.
Tuesday's results
Boston Celtics 112-99 Denver Nuggets
Portland Trail Blazers 115-104 Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers 112-104 Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans 144-113 Memphis Grizzlies
Toronto Raptors 124-113 Milwaukee Bucks
Brooklyn Nets 128-124 Phoenix Suns
Jazz at Clippers
There has been no stopping the Utah Jazz, who have won eight straight and 19 of their past 20 games to establish a lead in the Western Conference, but a tough challenge awaits when they go on the road to face the third-placed Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Sofia Kenin revealed she had her appendix removed after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis following her shock Australian Open exit.
Australian Open champion in 2020, Kenin was dethroned in the opening week of the grand slam at Melbourne Park, where she was stunned by Kaia Kanepi in the second round last Thursday.
American star Kenin – who suffered her earliest major exit since Wimbledon in 2019 – revealed via social media on Wednesday that she had an operation in Melbourne.
"Hey guys! I want to share with you what happened to me a few days ago," Kenin said via Twitter.
"I went to the tournament physician office on Monday, February 15th with acute abdominal pain. I was evaluated by the tournament physician and referred to the hospital for further evaluation.
"Acute appendicitis was diagnosed following the completion of my CT scan. I had to have surgery and had my appendix removed on Monday, February 15, at Epworth Hospital Richmond.
"I want to thank everyone at Epworth Hospital Richmond for taking good care of me!"
World number one Ash Barty refused to criticise Karolina Muchova's reasoning for a medical timeout after she was surprisingly beaten in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Barty's bid to become the first Australian woman to win the Melbourne grand slam since 1978 came to a shock end on Wednesday, upstaged by 25th seed Muchova 1-6 6-3 6-2.
Winner of the 2019 French Open, Barty raced through the opening set in 24 minutes and led 2-1 in the second before Muchova requested an off-court medical timeout on Rod Laver Arena.
It was a turning point, Muchova returning reinvigorated as the unheralded Czech reached her maiden major semi-final in remarkable fashion, with the 24-year-old revealing during her on-court interview, "I was a bit lost [gestures at head] on the court and my head was spinning so I took a break. It helped me.
"It was more they just checked my pressure because I was a bit lost. I was spinning. So they cooled me down a bit with ice and it helped me."
Asked about Muchova's actions, Barty told reporters: "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. 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. 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 added: "I would have liked to have just been a little bit sharper the next game. Started well with the first point, just made a couple loose errors in that game. I think for the rest of the set, that was the story, it was just over and over-made. Probably pressed a little bit trying to be overly aggressive.
"Had some break points, I think it was that three-all, that was probably a bit of a critical game in the momentum there for the second set. Just disappointed with the fact that I wasn't able to bring the match back on my terms after she took that break."
"I didn't hear what she said when she called for the trainer," Barty continued. "That's not my decision. When you call for the trainer, you obviously tell the umpire what the reason is. And then the doctor and physios come out and assess it. That's within the rules. For me, that's not really my decision and not my concern what she took the medical for.
"Obviously there are rules when we go off the court for whatever areas you're getting treated because that's quite normal. But, yeah, that's not really my decision to make on whether or what her medical condition was or what the timeout was for."
Brady, who tallied 31 unforced errors in the final two sets having only managed six in the first, said: "It's heartbreaking, of course. But will it deter me, will it ruin the fact we've had a really successful start to our season? Absolutely not.
"The sun will come up tomorrow. We go about our work again. You're either winning or you're learning. I think today is a massive learning curve for me, for Tyz [coach Craig Tyzzer], my team as well. We take the positives out of it, without doubt and don't let this particular match, this particular hour of tennis deter us from what we're trying to do."
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum admitted he is still battling with the after-effects of coronavirus despite returning to NBA action three weeks ago.
Speaking ahead of Boston's 112-99 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, where Tatum contributed 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, the All-Star revealed he was still experiencing respiratory issues during games.
Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 in early January, alongside some team-mates, forcing three Boston games to be postponed.
"I think it messes with your breathing a little bit," Tatum told reporters.
"I have experienced some games where, I don't want to say struggling to breathe, but you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. Just running up and down the court a few times, it's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster; I've noticed that since I've had COVID.
"It's just something I'm working on. It's gotten better since the first game I played, but I still deal with it from time to time."
The Celtics have a 7-10 record since then, slipping to third in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
After a period of quarantine, Tatum returned to the court with 24 points against the Chicago Bulls on January 25.
Tatum has not missed any of Boston's 12 matches since returning, top scoring for the Celtics on seven occasions, insisting the issues have not affected his performances or output.
"It's gotten better obviously from the first game I came back and played, but I guess it's just a long process," he said.
"I've talked to other guys that have had it and they say they experienced the same thing and it kind of just gets better over time. But as much as we play, I guess it takes a little bit longer.
"You've got to take it on the chin when things aren't going great and you're not playing how you should be."
Karolina Muchova completed a stunning comeback to upset world number one Ash Barty 1-6 6-3 6-2 in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Leading by a set and 2-0 in the second, Barty looked on track to reach back-to-back semi-finals at Melbourne Park, where she was bidding to become the first Australian woman to advance to the final since 1980 and first to lift the trophy since 1978.
But Czech 25th seed Muchova spoiled the 'Barty party' on Rod Laver Arena as her star opponent – unable to stop the rot – sensationally crashed out on Wednesday.
Muchova, whose only previous win against a top-five player came against Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon two years ago, will contest her maiden major semi-final as either Jennifer Brady or Jessica Pegula await.
Played behind closed doors on the final day of a five-day state-wide lockdown in Victoria, Barty initially showed no mercy in warm and sunny conditions midweek.
Barty, who had lost the second-fewest games (20) en route to the last eight, raced out to a 5-0 lead in just 16 minutes – Muchova managing to avoid a first-set bagel in the only positive in an otherwise forgettable start.
Winner of the 2019 French Open, Barty only dropped three points on first serve, while she won 90 her cent of her second serves – finishing a lopsided first set with six winners and just as many unforced errors.
Progression to the semis appeared to be a foregone conclusion as Barty led and Muchova required a medical timeout away from the court at the end of the third game of the second set.
But Muchova emerged a new player, with Barty fading dramatically after everything she touched had turned to gold in the opening set.
Barty's unforced error count ballooned out to 19 as Muchova enjoyed great success on second serve, winning 12 of 15 points, while the former – who did not face a break point in the first set – only managed four of 15 and served three double faults.
Muchova continued her red-hot form in the deciding set - breaking in the opening game before saving a pair of break points to consolidate and she did not look back as she caused a boilover, which was sealed with an ace.
Data Slam: Barty loses her way
Unstoppable in a 24-minute first set, Barty crashed back down to earth thereafter. She missed routine shots consistently, with 31 unforced errors in the remaining two sets contributing to her demise.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Barty – 21/37
Muchova – 17/33
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Barty – 3/3
Muchova – 2/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Barty – 3/13
Muchova – 4/11
Australian Open fans are set to return to Melbourne Park from Thursday after the Victorian government confirmed the lifting of restrictions following a five-day lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.
While the number of supporters set to attend remains unknown, fans will be back in their seats for the beginning of the Australian Open semi-finals, with record-chasing Serena Williams set to face three-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in Melbourne.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic will play the tournament’s surprise package, Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev - who is the first player to reach a semi-final on their grand slam debut.
Djokovic was on court when the lockdown came into effect last Friday, with the five-day "circuit-breaker" designed to control an outbreak of the UK coronavirus strain.
Part of the third round, the fourth round and quarter-finals of singles action were played behind closed doors after a series of outbreaks in Victoria.
The state has recorded 12 more active cases since the lockdown was implemented but, with none discovered in the past 24 hours, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announced restrictions will be eased.
"I'm very, very pleased to announce that the restrictions will come off, almost all of them, at midnight tonight," Andrews told reporters on Wednesday.
"From 11:59pm [Wednesday local time], the restrictions will be dropped [but] masks will be required indoors and outdoors when you can't socially distance."
The stage-four restrictions meant residents could not leave their homes for any other reason than work, shopping for groceries, exercise or the giving or receiving of medial care.
This year's delayed Australian Open has had crowds capped at 30,000 per day with original COVID-19 restrictions, but new limits are yet to be determined for the rest of the tournament.
"There will be meetings this afternoon [to determine] what is a safe number," Andrews said.
"They already were reduced, they may have to be reduced further, but that matter will be resolved in the next few hours."
Ben Simmons believes his potential is "scary" after scoring a career-high 42 points against the Utah Jazz.
Playing at center in the absence of Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons converted 15 of his 26 field goals, adding 12 assists and nine rebounds in a fantastic performance.
Utah still won the game 134-123 to make it 19 wins from 20.
Despite playing in a third straight loss, Simmons believes the record night shows he has made huge strides over recent weeks.
"I feel like I'm figuring it out," Simmons said after the game.
"Obviously, my scoring has been a lot higher the past five, six games.
"As long as I can keep doing that and stay locked in and keep working on my mental [game], I think it's scary.
"You have got to keep your foot down. Keep pushing forward offensively with me. Stay dominant - I know what I'm capable of.
"It felt good that I was able to dominate offensively. Defensively I did okay, not great. Offensively, I definitely had to pick up the slack especially if Joel is out. So yes [it was probably my most aggressive game].
"I loved when I saw Rudy [Gobert] was guarding me. I love being able to go at somebody like that. I felt like it was a little bit disrespectful to put him on me, but it is what it is.
"Honestly, I've just been working on my mentality and mental [game] a lot these past few weeks.
"It's not easy to do that. Your mindset will change the way you play or certain things in the game that come natural for certain people. It is all mental.
"People don't realise your mentality is a huge part of the game. For me I continue to work on that. I'm just trying to get better and progress my game and get to that next level.
"But we wanted to get this win bad. We didn't get it, so we've got to move on."
Getting Simmons matched up with Gobert was exactly what coach Doc Rivers had in mind, while he also praised Tobias Harris for a 36-point display.
Rivers said: "I didn't know we were going to get the 42 points out of him! But he did everything - he guarded, did a good job. Played with pace.
"We anticipated once Joel scratched that the lineup that we put on the floor, we were trying to create a lineup where Gobert would guard Ben and that happened.
"The key for us was getting stops and getting it to Ben and getting up the floor. We just felt like there was no way anybody was going to stay with Ben, especially a center.
"Tobias [Harris] was phenomenal as well. Look at those two guys, man!
"Harris has to be straight line, aggressive and powerful. When he plays like that, he's hard to deal with. He played a very decisive game and had very few indecisive plays.
"He is really keeping the game simple, playing with great force, scoring from the three[-point line], off the dribble and the post. He's doing exactly what we believe he can do.
"[Embiid] was just a late scratch. They came to me and told me his back is still stiff. So I don't think this is a long term issue or anything like that. It's just a game missed."
The Sixers are still top of the Eastern Conference at 18-10 and host the Houston Rockets next on Wednesday.
Jordan Clarkson scored 40 points off the bench for the impressive Jazz, who lead the Western Conference with an NBA-best record of 23-5.
Novak Djokovic lost his temper but refused to let the prospect of Australian Open glory slip away as he edged out Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals.
The world number one destroyed a racket when trailing 3-1 in the third set, after he and Zverev split the opening two sets, and it was one of a number of moments when the Serbian showed heightened volatility during a 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-4 7-6 (8-6) win.
Still bothered by an abdominal problem that he sustained in the third round, Djokovic nevertheless strides on and will face Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev for a place in the final.
Zverev, who played in a bright yellow headband and vest top, with a gold medallion hanging from his neck, will look back on an opportunity missed.
As well as that third-set lead, Zverev was also up a break at the start of the fourth, but the US Open runner-up lacked the composure to convert those hard-earned positions.
If Djokovic's racket-smashing was a tactical move designed to gee himself up and distract Zverev, then it worked a treat.
A nip-and-tuck opener had gone the way of German world number seven Zverev, who then made a wretched start to the second set and was 4-0 behind in the blink of an eye.
Just as momentum began to swing back Zverev's way in the third, Djokovic went into his rage, with a ball girl summoned to clear up the mess the 33-year-old created.
Back came Djokovic as double faults began to leak from Zverev's racket, and soon they were into a fourth set.
Zverev led 3-0 but Djokovic was not going away, seizing on mistakes from an opponent who by the end of the second tie-break of the match could only wonder what might have been.
An ace from Djokovic finished off the contest. After eight titles at Melbourne Park, a hunger for more continues to define his every performance in Australia.
"Emotionally I feel a little bit drained. We pushed each other to the limit," Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
"Other than in the second set I started pretty poorly in all the other three sets. I lost my service very early in the first, third and fourth and allowed him to swing through the ball a bit more, but I regained my focus.
"I broke that racket and things started to shift a little bit for me in a positive direction."
Aslan Karatsev said finding stability off the court has helped him become the revelation of this year's Australian Open after the qualifier marched on to the semi-finals.
The Russian became the first qualifier to reach the last four of a major since Vladimir Voltchkov, famously in borrowed shorts, did so in 2000 at Wimbledon.
It was Pete Sampras who eventually blew away Voltchkov's threat at the All England Club on his way to another title.
And it turns out there is a connection between Karatsev and Voltchkov, with both men now calling Minsk their home.
But whereas Voltchkov is Minsk born and bred, Karatsev has taken a roundabout route to setting down roots in the capital of Belarus.
He explained on Tuesday how he was born in the Russian city of Vladikavkaz before moving as a toddler to Israel with his family and living there until the age of 12, when he and his father returned to Russia, spending time in the city of Taganrog.
Tennis took him to training bases in Moscow, then Halle in Germany, Barcelona, and finally Minsk.
It is in Minsk that Karatsev has linked up with former ATP professional Yahor Yatsyk, a man only one year his senior but already settling into coaching.
As Grigor Dimitrov succumbed to injury and slid to a four-set defeat against Karatsev on Tuesday, the unlikely figure in the final four reflected on his long road to this point.
"Yes, I was moving I would say too much," Karatsev said of his nomadic existence.
"In the end I found a coach, Yahor Yatsyk, and this is the right guy for me. He's helped me a lot, more the mental part, and then of course there is the technical stuff as well.
"I like to work with him. We're living in Minsk. We're practicing there."
Karatsev is the lowest-ranked man to reach a grand slam semi-final since Goran Ivanisevic, who won Wimbledon in 2001 on a wildcard entry while ranked 125th in the world.
His charge through the draw makes him only the second qualifier to advance to the Australian Open last four, after Bob Giltinan in December 1977.
"Of course it's amazing that I passed to the semi-finals from qualifying," Karatsev said. "I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and not thinking about that too much and playing from round to round."
He and Yatsyk set the goal of reaching the top 100, which Karatsev had not managed before getting to Melbourne.
Before this fortnight he stood at 114th in the rankings, but he will hurtle to a double-digit ranking next week.
"I think the key is to find the right team, the right coach that I found. I was really lucky to find him," Karatsev said.
"We just met in one tournament. We were saying, 'Okay, let's try to work together', and it's really a big luck that we started to work together and I have a good team around me."
Before he encountered Yatsyk, who as a player did not crack the top 1,000 in singles, Karatsev had a brief moment when he wondered if he might not make the grade.
"There was a time when I was injured that was a difficult time for me because I recovered after the injury, and then 2017 started, and I started to play again, and again I felt the knee," Karatsev said. "I said, 'Whoa.' I quit again for two and a half months, almost three, and I think this is the most difficult part."
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