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Serena Williams knocked out of Australian Open by Karolina Pliskova after leading 5-1 and holding four match points
Karolina Pliskova defeats Serena Williams 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Williams was leading 5-1 in the final set before losing
The American failed to convert four match points
Serena Williams denied that she had suffered a dramatic choke on Wednesday, after a 23-minute meltdown had seen her waste a 5-1 deciding-set lead – as well as four match points – against seventh seed Karolina Pliskova.
“I can't say that I choked on those match points,” Williams said afterwards, in a press conference that was as quiet and understated as her mien on the court. “She literally played her best tennis ever on those shots.”
The most famous choke in tennis history was surely that of the late lamented Jana Novotna, mainly because her slide from 4-1 up in the decider against Steffi Graf happened in the 1993 Wimbledon final.
In Wednesday's instance, though, there were extenuating circumstances. Williams rolled her ankle in the rally that cost her first match point. The incident clearly jolted her mentally, even if her movement was not obviously affected.
She played the issue down in her press conference, saying that Pliskova had “just played lights out on match point, literally, hitting lines.” Asked why she hadn’t requested a visit from the trainer, who could at least have strapped the joint, she replied “I really hate calling the trainer out, to be honest. And at that point I didn't feel like I needed it. I like to just kind of tough it out.”
But her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, told Eurosport later that Williams would have been unable to play her semi-final even if she had closed out the match. “She could have asked for the physio because she was hurt,” he said. “But I think she didn’t call the physio because she knew her tournament was over.
“She knows herself very well, she had multiple twisted ankles, very often in her career. Even with a very tight strap she could have tried and kept going, eventually winning the match, why not? I don’t think she would have been able to play the day after. I think unconsciously that’s what she thought.”
At her peak, Williams didn’t get much practice at losing. Her collaboration with Mouratoglou, cemented in the early summer of 2012, helped her collect eight of the next 13 majors. But now, at 37, the bad days arrive a little more regularly.
At least Williams remained calm on Wednesday, declining to challenge the officials even after she was called for a foot fault on that first match point, seconds before her unfortunate ankle roll. Had that call been made on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where her stress levels always seem to spike, we might have seen fireworks.
On second thoughts, perhaps Williams remained a little too calm. Her body language was curiously flat and introverted throughout, in contrast to the roaring lioness who used to bare her fangs in defiance.
Even when she was on top – and there was an hour-long period in the middle of this match when she reeled off winners at will – she still mooched around between points, staring at her feet like a sulky teenager, and refusing to engage with either the crowd or her opponent.
Could this result be a harbinger of things to come? Williams is chasing the 24th major title that would carry her level with Margaret Court in the all-time standings. But we might question whether she is chasing it with the same inner fire that fuelled her finest seasons.
This is not just about practice and gymwork. So much of tennis is played in the head, as we were reminded on Wednesday. You have to go to tournaments to build up your match smarts.
Williams only played seven events last year, on her comeback from maternity leave. And she didn’t sound overly enthusiastic on Wednesday, when asked where her next commitment might be.
While Williams’s entourage has grown since the arrival of her daughter Alexis Olympia, her appetite for travel – never all that keen – seems to have shrunk.
Picking and choosing tournaments is not necessarily a mistake, and Williams’s ambivalent relationship with the tour has had its benefits. All her outside interests – a fashion brand, a college degree, a dance team and so on – have probably saved her from burnout.
As the years tick up, though, one suspects that Williams may need more matches rather than fewer, just to keep everything running smoothly. If she wants to give herself the best shot at May’s French Open, she would be wise to play at least two events – probably in Madrid and Rome – for optimal preparation.
In Wednesday’s other matches, tournament favourite Novak Djokovic all but earned a bye into the semi-finals yesterday when Kei Nishikori – who had already battled through three five-setters at this event – retired with a thigh injury after a set and a game.
Djokovic’s opponent tomorrow will be Lucas Pouille – the Frenchman who had never won a match at this event until this year. After overcoming Milos Raonic in four sets, Pouille was asked about his coach Amelie Mauresmo, who also worked with Andy Murray in 2015 and 2016. “She knows everything about tennis,” he replied. “It's not about being a woman or a man. You just have to know what you're doing, and she does.”
It was a tough day for Jamie Murray, who was beaten in the quarter-finals of both the men’s and mixed doubles events. But the last Briton remaining in either event, Liverpool’s Neil Skupski, was due to play the mixed-doubles semi-final overnight with his partner Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
Pliskova: Nobody more dangerous than Williams
Speaking on court, Pliskova says Williams improved as the match went on and admits she was too "passive".
She was "mentally down" and said she took her chance when Serena got a little "shaky in the end".
On facing Osaka tomorrow, Pliskova says she is "dangerous" - but then adds nobody is more dangerous than Williams.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 5-7 Pliskova
Can Pliskova complete a remarkable comeback? Or can Williams find another level? Pliskova starts off well with a strong serve to give her a 15-0 lead. Willism then smacks the net and it's 30-0. A delightful little forehand into an empty court gives Pliskova 3 match points. Williams saves the first by forcing an error. And then the second, hitting a backhand that Pliskova can only watch fly past her. But the American can only hit a forehand onto the net and Pliskova wins the match. Surely this is the comeback of the tournament so far!
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 5-6 Pliskova* (*next server)
Pliskova tries to continue the momentum and gets the first point. Williams hits her 4th double point and now she is under big pressure. Pliskova amps it up by arching a glorious shot that wrong foots Williams. 3 break points - and she only needs one. Pliskova is now serving to win the match.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4, 5-5 Pliskova (*next server)
Pliskova needs to hold to make the last break mean anything. Perhaps the ankle roll hurt her more than we thought. Williams gives a little hop as she sees a forehand flop into the net, but a strong return flies past Pliskova. Williams then hammers a forehand past the Czech to make it 15-30 before extending it to 15-40. Williams has two match points. Pliskova saves the first with a fine backhand. And then she saves the second as she forces the American into an error. What a battle we have on our hands. Williams absolutely whacks a backhand back at Pliskova and has another match point. But Pliskova is not done just yet. Deuce.
This time Pliskova hits a powerful serve and then wraps up the game with a terrific shot.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 5-4 Pliskova* (*next server)
A great, sweeping forehand from Pliskova gives her the early lead in the game. And then a double fault makes it 0-30. A poor forehand from Williams goes wide and now we have 3 break points. What are we seeing here? We're seeing a comeback! Williams hits the net and we're back on serve! Sensational stuff.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4, 5-3 Pliskova (*next server)
Pliskova is serving to stay in the quarter final and starts off well. But Williams hits a strong forehand to make it 15-15. The American went over her ankle slightly in the previous game but it's not hampering her too much - a fierce forehand makes it 15-30. A great rally ends with Pliskova drawing level and then an ace makes it 40-30. The American hits the net and she'll be forced to serve out the match.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 5-2 Pliskova* (*next server)
Pliskova starts off, well firing a return that gives her 0-15 lead. But Williams hammers down an ace to draw level. Pliskova won't roll over just yet, a good backhand restoring her lead. But another ace from Williams makes it 30-30. Pliskova fails to return the next serve and Williams has a match point. Pliskova keeps the game alive with a good shot at the net. Deuce. And now a double fault gives Pliskova a chance to break at a crucial point in the match. And she takes it! Williams hits into the net and the Czech keeps the match alive.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4, 5-1 Pliskova (*next server)
Williams takes the first point after a long rally - the Czech will need to dig deep here. Williams makes it 0-30 but Pliskova claws it back to 15-30. A powerful backhand flies past Williams to make it 30-30 but now the American has a break point. Boom. A huge return from Williams gives her the break and now she is on the verge of going through to the semi-final.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 4-1 Pliskova* (*next server)
Some strong serving helps Williams to a 30-15 lead before firing an ace to make it 40-15. Yet another ace gives her the game and Pliskova has it all to do.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4, 3-1 Pliskova (*next server)
Williams smacks back a wicked return before hitting another sweet return to make it 0-30. Pliskova then hits long and now the American has 3 break points. What a chance. She can't take the first chance, hitting the ball long. But a sensational return on a stretching forehand breaks her opponent. Williams has taken a vital lead.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 2-1 Pliskova* (*next server)
Pliskova seems to have lost the momentum in the match and is not challenging Williams so much on her serve. Still, she delivers a lovely backhand to make it 30-15 but Williams hits a strong serve to take it to 40-15. Good returning from Pliskova forces Williams to hit wide but then the Czech can only find the net. We're still on serve in the third set.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4, 1-1 Pliskova (*next server)
The Czech is off and running in the second game of the third set, taking a 30-0 lead. Williams hits long to make it 40-0 before Pliskova wraps up the game with ease.
Williams 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams gets the third set under way but falls short with the first point. A cracking backhand from Pliskova makes it 0-30 and she's under a bit of early pressure. That's better from the American as she batters a drive down the line before levelling the game with a strong forehand. Williams dominates the next rally and then hits an ace to wrap up the game.
Williams* 4-6, 6-4 Pliskova (*next server)
Williams is challenging Pliskova more on her serve now. A strong forehand makes it 0-15 but then the American can only hit the net. A powerful forehand from Pliskova makes it 30-15 before firing down an ace to make it 40-15. But Williams hits back with a backhand that flies past Pliskova and then, after a long rally, delivers a wonderful shot into the corner of the court. Deuce. Pliskova takes the lead but again Williams returns it to deuce. The Czech has a third chance to take the game but can't take it - this is the Williams we all know, a cracking angled backhand from the American. An ace restores Pliskova's edge but, again, we have yet another deuce.
And now Williams has the advantage as a lengthy rally ends with Pliskova hitting long. Williams has the chance to wrap up the second set - and she takes it! We're going to a third set.
Williams 4-6, 5-4 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams shows she can deliver an ace too, firing down two of them to make it 30-0. A backhand from her then smacks the net but Pliskova then hits long to make it 40-15. Another strong serve gives Williams the hold.
Williams* 4-6, 4-4 Pliskova (*next server)
Now, can Pliskova bounce back? Yes, it seems. She races to a 30-0 lead before an ace makes it 40-0. She is the Ace Queen and another strong serve gives her the game.
Williams 4-6, 4-3 Pliskova* (*next server)
An ace kicks off the game before Pliskova hits long to make it 30-0. A backhand from Williams smacks the top of the net before bouncing out but she makes no mistake with the next shot, a vicious forehand into the corner of the court. She takes the game with a strong serve and we're back on serve.
Williams* 4-6, 3-3 Pliskova (*next server)
Williams races to a 0-40 lead thanks to a few forced errors from Pliskova and has 3 break points. And there we have it, another soft backhand levels the set. What a response.
Williams 4-6, 2-3 Pliskova* (*next server)
A lovely little dink over the net from Williams gives her the first point. She stretches to a return from Pliskova but can't quite reach it. 15-15. Boom. A strong forehands whips past Pliskova but then the first double fault of the match makes it 30-30. The American then makes it 40-30 but Pliskova pushes the game to deuce. The Czech then returns a delightful forehand down the line and has a break point. But Williams approaches the net and saves it.
Again she nears the net and smashes it past Pliskova to take the advantage. But the Czech isn't going to back down. She scampers round the court and forces Williams to make an error. And again, Williams misjudges an overhead smash - giving Pliskova another break point. And this time she takes it as Williams hits the ball into the net! Pliskova has taken another big, big step to the next round.
Williams* 4-6, 2-2 Pliskova (*next server)
Williams can't return the first serve from Pliskova - nor the second. 30-0. The Czech then hits a lovely backhand to make it 40-0 but Williams stays in it with a strong hit t the corner of the court. A fierce return makes it 40-30 but then her strong serve takes the game. Pliskova has yet to face a break point.
Williams 4-6, 2-1 Pliskova* (*next server)
Much more comfortable from Williams. She hasn't had many love games but she flies through this one with ease. An ace wraps up the game to keep the set on serve.
Williams* 4-6, 1-1 Pliskova (*next server)
Can Williams pressure Pliskova on her serve? Not really. The Czech takes a comfortable 30-0 lead but then Williams finds another delightful backhand. A strong serve from Pliskova makes it 40-15 but Williams fires a vicious forehand into the corner of the court to make it 40-30. However, a soft drive into the net hands Pliskova the game. Flashes of brilliance from Williams, but only flashes.
Williams 4-6, 1-0 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams kicks off the second set and wins the first point. But she's struggling with the sun and loses the next exchange. She manages an ace to make it 30-30 but then Plistova gets some luck with a clip off the net. She has a break point already - but lets it slip as her next forehand doesn't go over the net. Deuce. A powerful backhand near the net gives Williams the advantage and then another huge backhand gives her game. Not an easy one, though.
Williams* 4-6 Pliskova (*next server)
She starts off well - firing down an apparent ace. But a challenge reveals it was out. Williams then has the court at her mercy - but fires into the net! A big miss from Williams. But the American is a starting to make the Czech move and Pliskova can only find the net. The Czech then edges into a 30-15 lead before Williams hits long to give Pliskova a chance to take the first set. And she seals it with her second ace!
Williams 4-5 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams' serve has been a little off but she takes a 30-0 lead. Pliskova almost fires back a terrific return - but it's just out. Then after a short rally, Williams cranks things up with a fierce forehand to take a love game. A rare easy hold for the American in this match. Pliskova now has the chance to take the first set if she can hold...
Williams* 3-5 Pliskova (*next server)
A strong start again from Pliskova, speeding to a 30-0 lead. Another fine serve makes it 40-0 and then Williams hits long to wrap up an easy hold.
Williams 3-4 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams gets off to a good start but Pliskova hits a wonderful return that flies past Williams. The American restores the lead but then Williams hits long to make it 30-30. She gives out a defiant roar as she hits an angled drive past Pliskova and then wraps up the game with a fine drive. Much ebtter from Williams but she's still a break down in this set.
Williams* 2-4 Pliskova (*next server)
Pliskova is playing some confident tennis here. She hits a fine forehand into the corner past Williams and then the American can't return the next serve. Pliskova grans the next point too, but Williams hits a superb return to make it 40-15. The Czech wraps up the game with ease as Williams hits wide.
Williams 2-3 Pliskova* (*next server)
Williams gets off to a bad start to hold. She slips down to 0-30 and is looking a bit sluggish out there in the sun. A wild forehand then goes long and suddenly Pliskova has 3 break points. Williams saves the first, and then the second...and then hits a fine angled drive to make it deuce. The American then drives a forehand down the line to claim the advantage but then hits wide. Pliskova has yet to make an unforced error, piling the pressure on Williams to be at the top of her game. And she's not. A long forehand gives Pliskova the advantage but the Czech narrowly misses a drive down the line. Williams gets the advantage and then manages to - eventually - take the game.
Williams* 1-3 Pliskova (*next server)
Can Pliskova keep the lead? She starts off well, firing a serve that Williams can't return. But the American hammers a forehand past the Czech to level the game. Williams goes for power again but can only find the net. A great stretching forehand from Pliskova saves a point and then she goes on to win it to make it 40-15. Williams misfires a the next return and Pliskova holds.
Williams 1-2 Pliskova* (*next server)
Serena dominates the first point but overhits it in the next exchange. At 15-15, Pliskova angles it wide and Williams is unable to return. A lovely backhand from Pliskova arrows past Williams and now the American is under pressure on her serve. After a long rally Williams hits into the net and it's Pliskova who claims the first break of the match. Game on.
Williams* 1-1 Pliskova (*next server)
A longer rally kicks off this game and Pliskova sweeps a lovely forehand past Williams. The American responds with an equally firm backhand past Pliskova. The Czech then fires a fierce forehand into the corner but the American smashes Pliskova's next serve right past her. 30-30. Pliskova hits an ace to make it 40-30 but Williams isn't going to make this easy - she finds the corner and makes it deuce. Pliskova takes the advantage before Williams hits long. The Czech is off the mark.
Williams 1-0 Pliskova* (*next server)
The American gets off to a strangely slow start. The ball is returned to her and she limply hits it into the net. She wins the next point and then fires down an ace to make it 30-15. A decent backhand makes it 40-15 and then Pliskova fails to return the next serve. A smooth start for Williams.
Williams 0-0 Pliskova* (*next server)
And we're under way, Williams to serve first.
Here they come
It's go time.#AusOpenpic.twitter.com/WoeXZWczGo
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2019
Winner will face Osaka
Serena Williams will be coming onto court in the Rod Laver Arena shortly and now knows whom she will face in the next round if she proceeds.
Naomi Osaka proved too strong for sixth seed Elina Svitolina as the US Open champion cruised into her first Australian Open semi-final with a 6-4 6-1 win.
The 21-year-old Japanese, who committed a string of unforced errors, faces up a potential rematch of her controversy-marred final at Flushing Meadows with Williams.
The first Japanese woman to reach the #AusOpen final four since 1994 (Kimiko Date) ������ pic.twitter.com/CVhAh8oGgM
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2019
After two consecutive breaks of service for each player in the opener, Osaka set up a fourth set point opportunity with a crisp backhand winner and converted it when Svitolina found the net with a thumping return.
The Ukrainian took a medical timeout in the second set as Osaka opened up a 4-0 lead but it made no difference as the fourth seed served her eighth ace then converted her first match point with an overhead winner, sealing the contest in an hour and 12 minutes.
Revenge mission
Seventh seed Karolina Pliskova will not be fazed by the prospect of this Australian Open quarter-final against seven-time champion Serena Williams in Melbourne.
Williams dropped just nine games in her opening three rounds before Simona Halep took her the distance at the Rod Laver Arena. Halep said it had felt "like I had been hit by the train" as the 37-year-old Williams continued her march towards a record-equalling 24th major title.
But Pliskova has pedigree, having beaten Williams 6-2, 7-6 in the semi-final of the 2016 US Open - before losing in three to Angelique Kerber in the final, and the 26-year-old Czech feels her game has come on since Williams beat her at Flushing Meadows back in September.
"I didn't play well that match, so for sure it would be good revenge to play her again," Pliskova said. "Different conditions here. I think I'm playing a little bit better than last year, so I'm looking forward to it."
Williams was wary of the Pliskova serve as she targets Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 majors:
"I've got to return a little bit better (against her) but I'll be ready. She's ready. Let's do it," said Williams.
