Azarenka slammed for choke break

Victoria Azarenka has defeated young American Sloane Stephens, but is criticised for taking a medical time out to "calm down".

VICTORIA Azarenka has been accused of "cheating within the rules" by the coach of US teen Sloane Stephens after the world No.1 took an injury timeout immediately after she choked on five match points on her way to an Australian Open final.

In post-match interviews the world No.1 twice blamed breathing difficulties that felt like a heart attack for leaving the court during a 6-1 6-4 win over Stephens, but by the time she faced the media over an hour later a mysterious back and rib issue were the source of her pain.

David Nainkin, the coach of Stephens, said Azarenka acted against the spirit of tennis.

"I thought it was very unfair - cheating within the rules," Nainkin told USA Today.

"It was unsportsmanlike. I don't think you should be able to leave the court before the opponent serves for 10 minutes for whatever reason.

"You'd better have something pretty good. I think there's a grey area in the rule book that shouldn't be allowed. End of story."

Azarenka said the issue flared two days ago and had returned a few games before she called for the doctor after failing to serve out the match at 5-3.

Victoria Azarenka receives medical attention in today's Australian Open semi-final. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

"I cannot control how long it takes to fix my injury," Azarenka said.

"I just regret that I didn't take it earlier.

"There was a little bit of my bad. But just a rib got locked and kept getting worse. I had to have it adjusted.

"I'm telling you what happened right now honestly, that my back was bothering me.

"It took me too long to call the trainer, which was my mistake. I took it to the point where I couldn't breathe.

"When I play and somebody takes a medical timeout, I don't doubt them."

Victoria Azarenka almost had the 'choke of the year' against Sloane Stephens today.

It was the decision of the tournament doctor to take Azarenka off court, but the 10-minute treatment equated to two medical timeouts as her knee was also assessed from a fall in the third game of the second set.

Azarenka did not deny her initial claims of choking and the onset of panic, but insisted there was a genuine physical ailment behind her obvious psychological failure.

"When you cannot breathe you start to panic," she said.

"I was really panicking, not because I couldn't convert my match point. That's not the case, I'm experienced enough to go over those emotions.

"But when you cannot breathe, when something's really blocking you, the stress, that was the stress I was talking about. I just couldn't realise what was going on with me.

"I couldn't breathe, I couldn't swing. I think it was pretty obvious that my shots were a little bit different.

"It was just so stressing me out the pain that I had that you know, maybe it was overreaction, but I just really couldn't breathe."

Azarenka closed out the match on the Stephens serve with her first opportunity, capping a remarkable recovery, but it left a sour taste in many mouths.

US commentators and former greats Pam Shriver and Patrick McEnroe condemned the timeout by Azarenka, McEnroe labelling it a "travesty", while the Rod Laver Arena crowd delivered perhaps their softest applause of the tournament.

To her credit, 19-year-old Stephens refuse to criticise Azarenka and actually wished the world No.1 would win tomorrow's final against Li Na.

Stephens admitted she wouldn't even know how to call a medical time out and when told it was a breathing issue she said: "You just get an oxygen tank or something.

"If it was one of my friends I would say, 'Oh my god that sounds like a PP,' which is a personal problem," Stephens said.

"I love Vica and we share the same agent. We actually are pretty good friends. I'm sure I will see her and we'll talk about it.

"I hope she wins the final, so I hope if that's the case she should figure it out, something, get it together."

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