schema:articleBody
| - Facts and figures ahead of Thursday's Australian Open women's semi-final (x denotes seeding): Karolina Muchova (CZE x25) v Jennifer Brady (USA x22) Head-to-head: Muchova leads 1-0 Fast facts Karolina Muchova Age: 24 World ranking: 27 Prize money: $1,420,826 Career titles: 1 Grand Slam titles: 0 Australian Open best: Semi-final (2021) Coach: David Kotyza Will be making her maiden Grand Slam semi-final appearance, with her previous best a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2019. Victory over Ashleigh Barty in the quarter-final was her first against a world number one and only her third against a top 10-ranked player -- the other two were both against her close Czech friend Karolina Pliskova (Australia Open 2021, Wimbledon 2019). Won her only WTA Tour title at Seoul in 2019, beating Poland's Magda Linette in the final. Handed Venus Williams her first opening-round US Open defeat in 22 appearances last year before losing in the last 16 to eventual runner-up Victoria Azarenka. Path to the semi-final: 1st rd: bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 7-5, 6-2 2nd rd: bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-4, 6-1 3rd rd: bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x6) 7-5, 7-5 4th rd: bt bt Elise Mertens (BEL x18) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 Quarter-final: bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 Jennifer Brady: Age: 25 World ranking: 24 Prize money: $2,014,115 Career titles: 1 Grand Slam titles: 0 Australian Open best: Semi-final (2021) Coach: Michael Geserer Making her second Slam last-four appearance after last year's US Open, where she lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka. Was forced into a 14-day hard quarantine after arriving in Australia, while other players were allowed out of their hotels to train for up to five hours a day. After beating her friend Jessica Pegula to reach the semi-finals, Brady revealed she once hated tennis as a child. Brady, who is yet to face a higher-ranked player at this year's Open, won her maiden tour title at Lexington in 2020 in her first WTA final appearance, defeating Jil Teichmann of Switzerland. Path to the semi-final: 1st rd: bt Aliona Bolsova (ESP) 6-1, 6-3 2nd rd: bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-1, 6-2 3rd rd: bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 6-1, 6-3 4th rd: bt Donna Vekic (CRO x28) 6-1, 7-5 Quarter-final: bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 afp
|