Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova smashed one racquet after losing the first set to Karolina Muchova and then another one in the players’ tunnel, but venting frustration in this way didn’t help her escape a third-round defeat at the Australian Open.
It looks like Pliskova is just one of many victims of this pandemic and lack of regular schedule. As the Czech said, none of her matches at Melbourne Park this year were a good experience, some were a little bit better and some were a little bit worse.
After breaking her first racquet, Pliskova received a code violation and after receiving a point penalty for smashing another racquet, this time away from the court, the former world No.1 argued how she could do whatever she wanted off the court, while the chair umpire informed her that she was not allowed to destroy equipment during a match.
These incidents did help Pliskova temporarily, as she returned to the court and won five games in a row to lead 5-0 in the second set, but she couldn’t hold this level longer and Muchova won the last seven games of the match to record a 7-5 7-5 victory and book her first appearance in the second week of the Australian Open.
Starting Saturday, players are again missing the experience of having crowds in the stands, as the Victoria state government imposed a five-day lockdown in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel. (photo: Jimmie48)
