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Controversy ... Victoria Azarenka receives treatment for 'choking' in her semi final. Source: Andrew Brownbill / AP
Criticism has been levelled at Victoria Azarenka after the world No.1 admitted to taking a medical timeout at a critical stage of today's Australian Open semi-final because she needed to "calm down".
Australian Open: Ladies Singles
Round SF, 24/01/13
Azarenka won her way through to the final with a 6-1 6-4 win over American teenager Sloane Stephens on Rod Laver Arena in scorching 35C heat.
But much is being made of Azarenka taking two medical timeouts at once after she blew five match points in the second set.
Stephens had the momentum when she saved the match points and then broke Azarenka to bring it back to 4-5.
Azarenka called for the trainer and was off court for 10 minutes, stopping Stephens' momentum in its tracks.
The Belarussian finally returned to break the younger Stephens and close out the match.
In her on-court interview with Channel 7, Azarenka said it was nearly "the choke of the year".
When she left the court, she was asked by ESPN why she took the timeouts.
"I had to take a little bit of time to calm down ... I couldn't breathe, I had chest pains," Azarenka said.
"It was like I was having a heart attack or something.
"I did it it to make sure I was OK because I really could not breathe."
Then at her post-match media conference not long after, Azarenka changed her story and said it was her back that caused her to take the timeout.
"That's the reason I couldn't breathe - my back was locked," she said.
Of her comments to ESPN, she said she had misunderstood the question.
Azarenka admitted she should have taken the timeout earlier than when she did.
Stephens said she had no issue with Azarenka and denied it hurt her momentum.
"It has happened to me before, but it is not something that affects me," Stephens said.
Stephens pointed out she shares the same agent as Azarenka and said she was sure the two would talk about it at some stage.
Respected ESPN commentator and former player Pam Shriver was one of many to question Azarenka's sportsmanship.
"You cannot leave court for 10 minutes like that," she said.
"That is not the rules of the game."
United States Tennis Player Development general manager and commentator Patrick McEnroe also tweeted his thoughts.
"So let me get this straight. She had a lot of nerves and that's why she left the court. Unbelievable. Absolute travesty," he wrote.
Azarenka is also receiving criticism on her personal Twitter account with many fans accusing her of "cheating".
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