With one final swing, Karolina Pliskova could have been out of the tournament. Somehow, she's still in it.
The Czech's extraordinary get-out-of-jail effort against Serena Williams on Wednesday is made from the stuff of tennis legend.
1-5 down in the final set, match points thrown in your face. You just don't win from there. You can't. It doesn't happen.
Having won the first set, Pliskova was up a break and looked steady to seal the match. However, Williams produced the initial comeback, wrested back the momentum, and dragged the match to deciding set.
MORE: Pliskova saves four match points to stun Serena | How Serena gave up a 5-1 final set lead
Leading 5-1 in the deciding set, Williams was charging towards the semis as a drained Pliskova looked to have all but accepted defeat.
On her first match point in the serve game, with scores at 40-30, Williams rolled her left ankle mid-rally and lost the point. She double faulted on the next point, and went on to lose the game.
Still, it was 5-2. It was still with Williams. Pliskova held serve, then broke Williams to love. 5-4, still Williams.
"She just went for it. She went for her serves. She went for the returns. She was just putting pressure on me. I was more passive," Pliskova told reporters after the match.
"I just said, 'Like, whatever. Maybe this can be over, but let's just try this game'.
"I just went for my shots. I played actually a good game I think going on 5-2.
"Then I said, 'Okay, let's try to hold my serve. Then we will see what's going to happen'. She was already match point up in that 5-1 game.
"Lot of things happened in those games. I just felt a chance... for sure it was in her head. Lot of things happen. I saw a chance and I just took it."
While rattled by her ankle roll, Williams bludgeoned two winners on her way to 15-40, and brought up two more match points.
It all happened quickly from there - seven straight points for the Czech gave her three match points of her own, and although she missed the first two, Williams' 37th unforced error handed Pliskova the most unlikely of victories.
The moment you realise you've beaten a 7-time #AOChampion & reached your first #AusOpen SF.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2019
👏 @KaPliskova pic.twitter.com/d9j8hWGee8
"I guess you feel just that way when it's 1-5 against you in the third. You don't really feel like you're going to win this match," Pliskova said.
"Could've been different, for sure. I think I could have done better in the second set. I could have put more pressure on her. I was a break up.
"But suddenly I somehow lost momentum. I was not playing the same game what I was playing, which was working, until the set and break.
"I was pushing her. I was more aggressive. I stopped little bit. Obviously she took her chance.
"I think I was just too negative those last couple games when she was going on 5-1 with myself.
"With the way that I had a set and break, I didn't make it. I was serving well. I was just controlling all the rallies, putting pressure. I was just feeling super confident about this match today.
"Suddenly, I just lost it. It went into my head. I think she improved. It's always kind of like changing the momentum sometimes in tennis."
NO REGRETS FOR SERENA: Williams heaps praise on Pliskova after quarter-final comeback
Her greatest comeback? Hard to argue against it. Steve McQueen and co. perfected The Great Escape, and this could be its sporting sequel.
"Normally I'm having lots of comebacks, but maybe from being a set down or a break down, so nothing like this," Pliskova said, smiling.
"I think it's going to be the best comeback ever so far in my life.
"I think the biggest win against her for me is that I believed I could win this match. That's how I started the match actually. I got my chance. I just went for it. I think maybe she didn't expect it from the beginning. She looked like she was a little too passive.
"Then she just went for it because I believed from the first ball I can win. I think that was the biggest victory for me today."
FIGHT pic.twitter.com/1D7YziZVzK
— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) January 23, 2019
