Mirjana Lucic-Baroni continued her fairytale run at the Australian Open by advancing to her first Melbourne Park semi-final with a 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory over fifth seed Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old, whose only other grand slam semi-final was against Steffi Graf at Wimbledon in 1999, will face either Britain's Johanna Konta or second seed Serena Williams, who play in the next quarter-final, for a spot in the final.
"I can't believe this, this is crazy," said Lucic-Boroni. "I can't believe I'm in semi-finals again. I feel a little bit in shock right now."
The match saw several swings of momentum with neither player really able to seize control, while Lucic-Baroni had trouble holding her serve when playing into the sun.
Pliskova took an early lead in the first set only to be pegged back by the aggressive tactics of her 34-year-old opponent, who had heavy strapping around both her left thigh and calf.
Lucic-Baroni, after sealing the first set in 32 minutes, won the opening games of the second before Pliskova broke back and then took a medical time out to fix strapping on her right foot.
The break saw the momentum shift towards the fifth-seeded Czech and she ran away with the second set.
Pliskova promptly lost serve in the opening game of the decider, but Lucic-Baroni handed the break right back after a controversial call at 15-15 when a serve was incorrectly called out resulted in a replay of the point.
Lucic-Baroni served two double faults to allow Pliskova to get back on serve.
The Croatian's problems with the ball toss at the northern end of Rod Laver Arena resurfaced and Pliskova was able to take a 4-3 lead.
Lucic-Boroni took a medical time out and from that point on had the upper hand. She won 12 of the next 13 points to storm through the last three games and into the semi-finals.
"I know this means a lot to every player to reach the semi finals. But to me this is overwhelming I will never, never forget this day and this last couple of weeks," she added.
"The fact I was this strong and could fight this hard is incredible."
Reuters
Wed Jan 25 2017

Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni celebrates winning her Women's singles quarter-final match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova, Jan 25, 2017. REUTERS

What happened in Philippine drug war that led to Duterte's arrest?
Here are some facts about the drug war during Duterte's presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Soccer - Manchester United plans to build 'world's greatest stadium'
Manchester United plans to build a new 100,000-seat stadium next to the existing Old Trafford, the club announces.

Meta begins testing its first in-house AI training chip
Meta is working with Taiwan-based chip manufacturer TSMC to produce the chip, according to sources.

Russia says it wants united and 'friendly' Syria
Russia has two strategically important military bases in Syria, which it is hoping to retain in the wake of Assad's fall.

Musk says juggling DOGE and CEO jobs is difficult, as Tesla shares slump
Elon Musk says he is running his businesses "with great difficulty" while working with the Trump administration.

Philippine ex-leader Duterte long defiant on deadly drug war
Before becoming president, Rodrigo Duterte earned the nicknames "The Punisher" and "Duterte Harry" for his violent anti-drug crackdown.

Ismail Sabri probe: 36 witnesses finish giving statements to MACC, 23 others to be summoned
A MACC source said 23 other witnesses have also been identified and would be summoned to give their statements soon.

Westin Hotels marks World Sleep Day with wellness-focused offerings
With a growing demand for sleep tourism and wellness travel, Westin aims to solidify its position as a leader in holistic hospitality.

Govt wants local experts to help improve national cyber security - PM's press secretary
Tunku Nashrul Abaidah says the government has high confidence in local expertise to face cybersecurity challenges.

Philippines' ex-President Duterte arrested at ICC's request over 'drugs war', government says
Rodrigo Duterte was arrested upon his arrival at a Manila airport and the ex-leader is now in custody, the office of the president said.
![[COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah [COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2025-03/81741682061_tbOrangAslisolar.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah
For years, families in these villages relied on diesel generators, but the high cost of fuel and maintenance meant electricity was a luxury.

Court postpones verdict in Aliff Syukri obscene content case to March 14
Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman faces four charges of uploading obscene content on his Instagram account in 2022.

Trump says he will buy a 'new Tesla' to show support for Musk
Tesla's market capitalisation has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on December 17.

Tanker hired by US military ablaze off UK after hit by container ship
The ship is carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a toxic chemical used mainly in gold mining, and an unknown quantity of alcohol.

Failure to pay PTPTN loan: UMNO Youth supports proposal to ban borrowers from overseas travel
UMNO Youth chief says the borrowers involved must be responsible in settling their debts with PTPTN for the sake of future generations.

Pope Francis no longer faces immediate danger, responding to treatment, Vatican says
The Vatican says pope's doctors decided to lift an earlier "guarded" prognosis, meaning the pontiff was no longer in immediate danger.

AI Revolution: Will Malaysia’s workforce sink or swim?
AI is no longer a distant concept, it is actively transforming industries, reshaping job markets, and redefining the skills needed.

Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China
Beijing insists it will choose his successor, but the Dalai Lama says any successor named by China would not be respected.

US judge says Musk's DOGE must release records on operations run in 'secrecy'
The ruling, the first of its kind, marks an early victory for advocates pushing DOGE to be more transparent about its role in mass firings.

How to Get to Merdeka 118: Your Complete Guide
Heres everything you need to know about getting there efficiently.