Little-known star wins hearts after AO upset

By Sam Worthington with AP

An affectional Magda Linette thanked her coaches for "putting up with a batch of crap" aft extending her fairytale tally into the Australian Open semi-finals connected Wednesday.

The unseeded 30-year-old bushed Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 7-5, adding the erstwhile satellite No.1 to the database of apical players she has beaten astatine Melbourne Park during this tournament.

Linette, from Poland, had ne'er reached the quarter-finals of a expansive slam earlier and said controlling her emotions amended was the cardinal to her astonishment ride.

Watch the Australian Open unrecorded and escaped connected the Nine Network: Channel 9, 9Gem and 9NOW

Polish prima successful disbelief aft reaching semis

"Through each my beingness I've been taking mistakes, losses precise personally, truthful to disconnect those 2 things, it was truly difficult," she explained connected Nine and Stan Sport.

"Because I felt a batch of times that the misses, the mistakes are defining me. So I mean, my coaches and maine did a truly large job, and I'm truly thankful to them, due to the fact that they truly enactment up with a batch of crap."

Linette's unfiltered delight and honesty drew lukewarm laughter and applause from the steadfast assemblage astatine Rod Laver Arena.

LIVE UPDATES: Australian Open 2023 time 10 highlights

READ MORE: Super-mum finds 'vintage' champion successful 10-year first

READ MORE: AO prima 'lucky' aft explosive brushwood with shot kid

Match Highlights: Karolina Pliskova v Magda Linette

Linette, who had mislaid 7 of 9 erstwhile matches against Pliskova, has present defeated Anett Kontaveit, Ekaterina Alexandrova and WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia successful successive rounds.

A subordinate from Poland was favoured to scope the second stages of the tournament, but it was apical effect Iga Swiatek that everyone would person expected — and not Linette.

"It's truthful affectional I can't truly judge it," Linette said.

Australian Open 2023. Every Match. Ad-free. Centre Court sum successful 4K UHD on Stan Sport

"I tried to enactment composed and took my chances erstwhile I could."

Linette volition present play the victor of Wednesday's clash betwixt 5th effect Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Donna Vekic.

"I volition ne'er hide this. You know, the archetypal clip ever I'm breaking done immoderate truly hard things for me," she said.

"So I mean, this volition enactment with maine for life, truthful I'm truly really grateful. I'm ace blessed for the support. So again, convey you truthful much, everybody. Thank you."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here

Australian Open 2023 successful pictures: Beaten Jelena Ostapenko roasted for 'classless' handshake