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Upsets in the women's event of the Australian Open 2020 continued unabated in the soaring heat of Melbourne.
Former World No 1. Garbine Muguruza, who is unseeded at Melbourne Park, got the better of fourth-seed Simona Halep, who was clinical as ever in the lead-up to the semi-final clash, while Sofia Kenin stunned top-seed Ashleigh Barty in a nail-biting encounter.
Crowd-favourite Barty fired in eight aces but failed to make the final going down 6-7, 5-7 in one hour and 45 minutes, much to the dismay of her fans who were fervently hoping that the Queenslander would be the first Australian to make it to the final of the event since Wendy Turnbull, who lost the 1980 title clash to Hana Mandlikova.
Barty was on the verge of clinching the first set - leading 6-4 in the tie-break before she allowed the 21-year-old to find her way back, take the set, and seize the initiative.
Kenin, who had defeated teenage sensation Coco Gauff earlier in the competition, played inspired tennis undeterred by the chants of her opponent's vociferous fans which might have unrattled a lesser player.
Instead, it was Barty who felt the pressure of expectations as she surrendered the advantage in the first set and took the lead in the second before squandering two set points to let the Russian-born 21-year-old run away with the match.
Barty seemed a lot more overwhelmed than her younger opponent and failed to challenge a backhand shot which would have earned her a set point in the first set.
Kenin got 70% of her first serves in as compared to Barty, who managed 50% and also won more breakpoints than the top-seed.
It was a historic moment and one that epitomised the women's event over the last ten days with upsets being the order of the day.
The 23-year-old top-seed had beaten Kenin on four occasions in the past but Australian fans will have to wait a while longer to witness a homegrown champion make it to the final of the first Grand Slam of the year.
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