Advertisement

'How on earth': Tennis fans stunned by unthinkable moment

Karolina Pliskova, pictured here losing at the Ostrava Open.
Karolina Pliskova bombed out of her home tournament. Image: Getty/WTA

Karolina Pliskova has stunned her home tennis fans after blowing a lead and losing to Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova at the Ostrava Open.

Kudermetova pulled off a shock victory over the Czech World No.6 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA event in Prague.

SCANDAL: Boris Becker faces court over $6m trophy furore

‘TIME TO SAY GOODBYE’: Tennis star's sudden retirement at 31

Pliskova, a former World No.1 and the tournament's second seed, looked in complete control after taking the opening set.

Kudermetova took a medical timeout for a rib problem and looked set for a straight-sets loss.

However, the hometown hero was soon pushed on to the back foot as Kudermetova rallied to level the match, before progressing 4-6 6-4 6-3 in just under two hours.

Fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing, flocking to social media in shock.

Earlier on Thursday, Ons Jabeur ended the run of former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko with a 6-4 6-4 win to reach her fifth quarter-final of the year.

Third seed Aryna Sabalenka came from behind to beat American teenager Coco Gauff 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7-2), while Belgian seventh seed Elise Mertens brushed aside Czech player Karolina Muchova 6-4 6-2.

In the day's late match, Jennifer Brady beat Russian Daria Kasatkina 7-5 6-2, which set the American up for a quarter-final against Kudermetova.

Karolina Pliskova, pictured here in action at the French Open.
Karolina Pliskova has been badly out of form in recent months. (Photo by Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty)

Alex de Minaur looking good in Antwerp

Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur's draw at the ATP Tour's Antwerp Open has opened up after qualifier Marcos Giron stunned top seed David Goffin in the second round.

Australian De Minaur, the eighth seed, will face world No.94 Giron in the quarter-finals after the American defeated Belgian Goffin 6-3 7-5 in one hour and 41 minutes on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Giron, who underwent right hip surgery in December 2015 and left hip surgery in February 2016, saved 10 of the 13 break points against world No.14 Goffin on his way to claiming his first top 20 scalp.

Giron's previous-best win came last year at Indian Wells against then world No.24 de Minaur.

Fifth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic beat Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 7-6 (7-4) to advance to a last-eight meeting with Bulgarian fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Zizou Bergs had his ATP main draw debut run end after he was beaten in three sets by third seed Karen Khachanov.

The 21-year-old Belgian took the opening set but Khachanov rallied to progress 5-7 6-4 6-4.

South African qualifier Lloyd Harris accounted for American seventh seed Taylor Fritz 7-5 7-6 (3) to advance to the quarter-finals.

with AAP

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.