World No.1 Ash Barty admits that a medical timeout taken by Karolina Muchova was a ‘turning point’ in their match but has refused to criticise the Czech player following her shock loss at the Australian Open.
The top seed looked to be on course to booking a place in the semi-finals after racing to a 6-1, 2-1 lead with relative ease before the match came to a halt which lasted nearly 10 minutes. Muchova received a medical timeout after complaining of dizziness caused by the humid conditions in Melbourne Park and left the court. When she returned, the world No.27 dominated proceedings by winning six out of seven games played en route to a surprise three-set victory. Following her win, Muchova commented on her decision to take a medical break.
“I was a bit lost on the court and my head was spinning so I took a break. It helped me,” she said.
The use of words by the 24-year-old has raised eyebrows from some in the tennis world. Although conditions in Melbourne were tough for players with Daniil Medvedev saying after certain rallies he was struggling to breathe during his quarter-final clash with Andrey Rublev.
Questioned about Muchova’s ‘break’ Barty refused to engage in any potential argument by insisting that what her opponent did was within the rulebook. The International Tennis Federation states that a player is allowed a break for reasons such as dizziness if the physio deems it appropriate. However, Barty admits that the disruption caused a change in momentum.
“It’s within the rules, she’s within her rights to take that time,” she said during her press conference.
“If she wasn’t within the rules, the physios and the doctors would have said so. That’s the laws of our game. 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 timeout’s 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.”
Following their match, there are questions as to if a player should be entitled to such a break if they have no injury as such. Although Barty is staying clear of weighing in on the debate herself.
“I don’t write the rules. I abide by them,” she stated.
“It’s not my place to comment whether she had an injury or not. That’s the physios and the doctors. Obviously that she’s taken her medical timeout meant that there was something wrong. She was within the rules.”
Muchova later told reporters that at one stage she felt like she was going to faint on court due to the heat. It was after that when she received treatment which included having her blood pressure taken and being cooled down with ice.
Through to her first Grand Slam semi-final, Muchova will next play America’s Jenifer Brady.
