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Australian Open: Barty shows might, as last year’s finalists move on

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The collywobbles of the first round behind her, Ash Barty reprised plenty of her world-leading form to secure a fourth-straight third round berth at Melbourne Park.

The Australian world no. 1 navigated some second set jitters and a dicey opponent in Slovenia’s Polona Hercog to notch a 6-1 6-4 victory in just over an hour.

Speaking post-match to former doubles teammate Casey Dellacqua, Barty said she was stoked to escape unscathed.

“It’s been incredible, another clean match, happy to get out of that one,” Barty said.

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Ashleigh Barty showed the world why she’s world number one during the second round. Photo: Getty

“It was very different [from the first round], and the wind played a massive factor … once I got my opportunity I took them, and was glad to save a few break points in the second set.”

The French Open champion was dialled in from the outset, holding serve to love before immediately breaking her opponent.

Her dominant ways carried on throughout the first set for the loss of one game, with her cutting sliced backhand causing particular trouble for Hercog, who sprayed 11 unforced errors.

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The Australian employed her slice to great effect during her second round match. Photo: Getty

Resuming after the break, the Slovenian looked more content extending rallies, manoeuvring Barty wide before landing punishing forehand blows.

The strategy paid dividends with six break point chances in the second set.

But Barty withstood the challenge, utilising her all-court game, prowess at the net and mettle developed as the world’s top player to see off her lower-ranked opponent.

She will next face either qualifier Greet Minnen or 29th seed, Hobart International champion Elena Rybakina.

In the day’s other completed match featuring an Australian, Perth wildcard Astra Sharma floundered in the blustery conditions, succumbing to Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 6-0 6-2.

With the match on Sharma’s racquet, the local hope’s misfiring groundstrokes reaped 12 unforced errors in a lightning-fast opening set, before some inaccuracy from the 28th seed handed her an early break.

From there, it was one-way traffic as Kontaveit won five of the last six games to secure her second-ever berth in the round of 32.

Osaka, Kvitova battle through the wind

Last year’s women’s finalists — Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova — both overcame guileful second round opponents, and the one-two combo of sapping humidity and 30 kilometre per hour winds, to navigate into the third round.

For defending champion Osaka, her path into the next round was more clinical against China’s Saisai Zheng, winning 6-2 6-4, but it wasn’t without difficulty.

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World No.3 Naomi Osaka was made to battle as she wrested a second-set deficit against China’s Zheng. Photo: Getty

“I got really fired up when she was up 4-2 and people started clapping more. I was complaining over here and almost throwing my racquet, but it all worked out … I didn’t want to play a third set this time,” Osaka told Nine post-match.

Dictating play with ruthless power and ability to drag her opponent wide with angled groundstrokes in the first set, mistakes began to flow from Osaka’s racquet in the second as she grew impatient with Zheng’s consistency.

After Osaka dropped back-to-back service games, an emotional rollercoaster ensued that included racquet kicking, self-deprecating laughter and remonstrating over her racquet’s tension.

But the venting lit a fire under the Japanese world no.3, who blitzed through the final four games of the match to set up a potential third round meeting with Coco Gauff — the first since their viral US Open moment.

On Rod Laver Arena, Kvitova’s well-known troubles with gusty conditions were compounded by 22-year-old Paula Badosa’s tendency to apply plenty of topspin off both wings, before scraping through 7-5 7-5.

“She played a great match and it was really tough for me to get through. She was serving well, the wind wasn’t nice and it was difficult at times,” Kvitova said.

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How did Petra Kvitova feel after overcoming windy conditions and a tricky opponent? Stoked. Photo: Getty

Despite Kvitova winning her first match with the loss of one game, it was the unheralded Spaniard who managed the first breakthrough, breaking the Czech’s serve to love, sealed with an emphatic return winner.

But the advantage was immediately snuffed as the world no. 7 returned the favour with an ear-piercing roar, sparking her run to the first set.

Gritty rallies continued in the second with Kvitova threatening to streak ahead off some desperate defence.

However, the world no.97 Badosa had three set points to force a third and appeared convinced she closed it out, before Hawkeye cruelly proved her backhand winner was mere centimetres wide.

Surviving the late scare, Kvitova’s fierce ball-striking saw her close out the match with 31 winners to her credit.

The post Australian Open: Barty shows might, as last year’s finalists move on appeared first on The New Daily.


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