Title favourite Serena Williams went out of the Australian Open in a huge shock as injury derailed her hopes against Sloane Stephens in the quarter-finals.
The 15-time Grand Slam champion led her fellow American by a set and a break, but after being treated for a back spasm in the second set went down 3-6 7-5 6-4.
Stephens, 19, is on the verge of breaking into the world’s top 20 and was playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
She gave a good account of herself in the opening stages, but Williams looked to have seen off the impressive teenager when she reeled off five straight games from 3-3.
However, Williams came into the match carrying an ankle injury picked up in round one, and appeared to turn it once again in the second set.
The 31-year-old shrieked in pain while rushing forward for a ball at 4-3 down and the doctor was called at the next changeover, prompting Williams to head off court for treatment.
Regularly grimacing in pain between points, the five-time Australian Open champion was unable to serve or move at anything like 100% and Stephens took advantage to level.
With the match apparently slipping from her grasp early in the third, a furious Williams smashed her racquet on the ground and flung it towards her chair, picking up a code violation.
She battled on, however, determined not to end a run that saw her win Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open in succession last year.
After resisting the pressure of three break points at 3-3 in the decider, Stephens could not stave off a fourth and slammed a forehand into the net, but Williams handed it back straight away for 4-4.
It was the younger player who was the stronger in the closing stages and when facing two match points, a fading Williams could only find the net – to the astonishment of Stephens as much as anyone else on Rod Laver Arena.
The new star of women’s tennis will take on defending champion and world number one Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals on Thursday.
