By Max Margan For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 21:58 GMT, 20 January 2019 | Updated: 08:31 GMT, 21 January 2019
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Maria Sharapova has been accused of bad sportsmanship after taking a lengthy bathroom break during her shock loss to Ash Barty at the Australian Open
Maria Sharapova has been accused of bad sportsmanship after taking a lengthy bathroom break during her shock loss to Ash Barty at the Australian Open.
The Russian was booed by the Rod Laver Arena crowd after leaving the Australian waiting on the court in what appeared to be an attempt to halt her momentum.
Barty, 22, lost the first set 6-4 before dominating the second, which she claimed 6-1.
Sharapova then left the court before the start of the third set and didn't reemerge for nearly eight minutes - much to the displeasure of fans and commentators alike.
'Hiding in toilet to upset a competitor... just sad,' one said, while others accused her of 'cheating' in a 'pathetic attempt' to halt Barty's momentum.
'Sharapova takes a momentum break - sorry bathroom break - after Barty wins the second set,' one wrote.
The former world number one was in no mood to answer questions about her controversial break in her post-match press conference after going down in three sets to the Queenslander.
The Russian was booed by the Rod Laver Arena crowd after leaving the Australian waiting on the court in what appeared to be an attempt to halt her momentum