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Post by Admin on Jun 24, 2019 17:37:54 GMT
Ashleigh Barty is the first Australian in 43 years to climb to the top of the WTA singles ranking after she won the Birmingham Classic grasscourt title on Sunday. The 23-year-old beat Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-3 7-5 in the final, meaning she will knock Japan’s Naomi Osaka off the summit when the new rankings are released Monday. “It’s been the most incredible journey for me and my team,” Barty said on court after a standing ovation from the crowd and a warm hug from her doubles partner Goerges. The former junior Wimbledon champion took an indefinite break from tennis at the end of 2014, recently citing mental health issues as the reason, and played Big Bash cricket for Brisbane Heat before returning to the sport in 2016. Since then the Queenslander’s rise has been remarkable. “We started from scratch three and a half years ago without a ranking and now to be where we are is a massive achievement for me and my team,” Barty, whose return has been overseen by coach Craig Tyzzer, said. http://instagram.com/p/CCXbcDfpJFn
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Post by Admin on Aug 15, 2019 18:31:32 GMT
It began with her slice backhand, a shot that she hits as smoothly and effectively as anyone in tennis. But against the 6’2” Sharapova, it was even more effective than usual. When a rally began today, Barty would send a low, biting underspin backhand across the net. It didn’t have to have much pace or be especially well placed. The point was to force Sharapova to (a) bend down and hit up on the ball to get it over the net; and (b) make a no-win decision about where to put her next shot. If Sharapova went back to Barty’s backhand, she would get another low slice in return; if she went to Barty’s forehand, she risked having the Australian pop her powerful topspin forehand into the corner for a winner. Sharapova didn’t play badly for much of this match, but she couldn’t escape that trap. With Barty changing speeds and spins on each shot, Sharapova could never find a rhythm for long; it took her a set and a half to hit a clean, penetrating backhand off a Barty slice. For the match, Sharapova hit 16 winners and made 31 errors, and whenever a big point arrived, she was the one to misfire. Her last stand came with Barty serving at 2-0 in the second set. Four times Sharapova reached break point; on three of them, she missed makable forehands. She finished the match one of seven on break points.
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Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2020 21:28:32 GMT
Ash Barty has seemingly copped a massive snub from former US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, who says women’s tennis is lacking a young superstar to take over from Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Barty is the current World No.1 after winning the French Open and WTA Finals in 2019, yet she doesn’t seem to register on Pennetta’s radar. In an interview with La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, Pennetta couldn’t pinpoint a player who would be the next big superstar in women’s tennis. The Italian pointed to the current stocks in men’s tennis but bemoaned the lack of depth in the women’s game. “In the men, there is Federer, Nadal and Djokovic who have created an incredible history of tennis in the last 15 years,” she said. “But behind them there are already solid and consistent young people. “In the women, there is no longer the icon, the one that ‘sells’ tickets. “Serena Williams is still there, but she too is starting to struggle. Sharapova retired and was an icon, even off the court. “On one hand, every tournament is fun because almost anyone can win, but this makes us think because before the top 10 were one notch, or rather two, above the others.” Naomi Osaka could also feel slighted by Pennetta’s comments. The Japanese player recently dethroned Serena as the richest female athlete in the world on the back of her two grand slam titles at the US Open in 2018 and Australian Open in 2019.
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Post by Admin on Jul 30, 2020 22:29:03 GMT
The top player in women’s tennis is pulling out of the US Open.
Ashleigh Barty, ranked No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings, told The New York Times on Wednesday that she will not play in the US Open due to concerns about traveling during the coronavirus pandemic.
This will mark the first time the top-ranked women’s singles players has missed the US Open since Serena Williams withdrew from the 2010 tournament with a foot injury.
From the Times:
“I love both events so it was a difficult decision,” Barty said in a statement sent to Australian media outlets on Thursday. “But there are still significant risks involved due to Covid-19, and I don’t feel comfortable putting my team and I in that position.”
The Australian also reportedly said she will not play in the Western & Southern Open, regarded as the second-biggest U.S. event of the summer. The tournament, usually held in Cincinnati, will be moved to the US Open’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York this year to cut down on travel for players.
How many elite players show up is also reportedly a question right now, as four other members of the top 10 — No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Elina Svitolina, No. 6 Bianca Andreescu and No. 10 Naomi Osaka — have not entered the Western & Southern Open, which starts on Aug. 20 and reportedly did not respond to messages from the Times about playing in the US Open.
Players pulling out, a natural consequence of a sport featuring players from so many different countries amid a global pandemic, seems to be expected by the person in charge of the Open, per the Times:
“I respect every player’s decision,” said Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Open tournament director, who has been pushing hard with her staff to salvage the tournament, which will be played without spectators and with extensive health precautions. “Ash made her decision on what she thinks is best for her and her team. We wish her well, and I am looking forward to seeing her return to play as she is a fan favorite.”
The rescheduled French Open is scheduled to begin the next month on Sept. 21. Barty told the Times she will make a decision on that event in the coming weeks.
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Post by Admin on Apr 4, 2021 21:22:45 GMT
Ash Barty said she never has "to prove anything to anyone" after winning the Miami Open on Saturday. The world number one won the title after Bianca Andreescu withdrew with the scores at 6-3 4-0 in the Australian’s favour. Andreescu had fallen earlier in the match and sustained a foot injury, which forced her to retire. Barty’s 2020 was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and her win at Miami was her second consecutive win in Florida after taking the 2019 edition. Speaking after the win, she said: “I never have to prove anything to anyone. I know all the work that I do with my team behind the scenes. I know there has been a lot of talk about the ranking, but I didn't play at all last year and I didn't improve any of my points whatsoever. "I felt like I thoroughly deserve my spot at the top of the rankings. “The year we had in 2019 was incredible, incredible for us, and, you know, to be able to build on that now since the restart for us has been great, but certainly in my eyes we come out here and do the best that we can regardless of what anyone is saying. So I never feel like I have to prove anything to anyone. Barty continued: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That's absolutely fine. I can't control what anyone else thinks or what anyone else says. For me I just keep trying to do what we do. “I feel like we deserve to be top of the rankings. We have had such a fantastic season. Also, I think everyone needs to understand that it's a pandemic. It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing for a lot of us to go through, so it's a bit of a difficult situation. “It doesn't ever really get to me. I mean, it's just what people say and I can't change their opinion, so it doesn't stress me out at all.”
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