First set: Ash Barty* 3-0 Karolina Muchova (*denotes server) Nine minutes into this match and Barty has opened up a three-game lead. It’s all very ominous for Muchova, who is still to settle into any kind of rhythm. The fear is, by the time she does, the writing will be on the wall already. First set: Ash Barty 2-0 Karolina Muchova* (*denotes server) Muchova shows signs of a few nerves on her first service game, perhaps understandably so, and Barty breaks. A whipped forehand winner seals the deal for the Australian, on the second break point of the game. We’ve seen this opening to a Barty match before this Open... First set: Ash Barty* 1-0 Karolina Muchova (*denotes server) Barty serves first, and it’s an entirely comfortable start for the world No 1 and top seed. You’d expect nothing different. It’s 27C currently at Melbourne Park and the mercury’s going to nudge the early 30s later on in the day. You feel this pair will be glad to get on first today. OK, the players are out on court warming up and we’re nearly ready to get today’s play under way. Just on crowd numbers for the remainder of the tournament, Dan Andrews has indicated the pre-lockdown caps may be further reduced. “We go through and work through what is a safe number and will get that decision made as soon as possible. That advice will be out there for people as soon as possible. They were already were reduced but may have to be reduced further. That matter will be resolved in the next few hours.” Head-to-head: Barty and Muchova have met just once before, in the third round of the 2018 US Open, when the Australian triumphed 6-3, 6-4. And she’s the hot favourite to add a second win over the Czech today. Anything else would be a huge upset. Barty’s path to this stage of the tournament has been... straight forward, to say the least. She brushed aside Danka Kovinic without dropping a game in the first round, before adding Daria Gavrilova, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Shelby Rogers to her list of victims while barely breaking stride. Just Gavrilova pushed her, taking the second set of their second round encounter to a tie-break. Barty is yet to drop a set this tournament, and with the draw having opened up for her, a run all the way to a final against either Serena Williams or Naomi Osaka is a distinct possibility. Should she beat Muchova, the winner of today’s other quarter-final between American pair Jennifer Brady (seeded 22) and Jessica Pegula (unseeded) awaits. Preamble There won’t be fans in the stands again today, day 10 of play at this Australian Open, as the semi-finals line-up is finalised, but the breaking news from Victoria is that the snap lockdown that has been imposed since last week will be lifted as of tomorrow, Thursday. We’re awaiting confirmation about what that means for tennis fans, and whether they’ll be allowed back into Melbourne Park for the semis onwards, but from what Victorian premier Dan Andrews has indicated, it’s looking likely. He has so far refused to address the Australian Open specifically, but Andrews did say: “Sport and recreation activities can resume again, with density quotas in place... entertainment and public events will have caps.” For now, Ash Barty continues her pursuit to become the first local player to win the Australian Open since 1978 in front of empty stands on Rod Laver Arena, where she meets the Czech 25th seed Karolina Muchova for a place in the final four. We’ll have game-by-game updates on that match on Rod Laver Arena, due to start at 11am local time – in about 10 minutes. Do get in touch if you feel the need. I’m on mike.hytner@theguardian.com, or @mike_hytner it Twitter’s your thing.