Venus eclipsed by Barty

AUSTRALIAN tennis continued to reprise its giantkilling reputation ahead of next week’s US Open as Ashleigh Barty revelled in a watershed victory over former world No.1 Venus Williams.

Barty’s 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over this season’s Australian Open and Wimbledon finalist was her first over a top-10 opponent and extended a renaissance season for underdog Australians.

Barty’s success over world No.9 Williams followed those of Jordan Thompson, who downed world No.1 Andy Murray at Queen’s Club, and Thanasi Kokkinakis’s win over Wimbledon runners-up Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych.

And it echoed the excellence of Nick Kyrgios’s successive victories over former world champion Novak Djokovic this year.

With the exception of 2011 champion Sam Stosur, Australia’s Flushing Meadows contingent will not be overly saddled by expectation at the final grand slam of the season.

But Barty’s stunning success isolated the gifted Queenslander as one of the hottest players on tour since the French Open.

The quality of her victory on grass over subsequent Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza at Birmingham in June was overshadowed by her hardcourt performance against dual US Open champion Williams.

In her first full season since returning from cricket, Barty has won her first singles title, beaten two grand slam champions and now has boosted her ranking — from oblivion to about No.42.

When the new rankings come out next week, she will overtake Stosur.

“It feels really good, I’m having a great hardcourt season so far and loving the conditions here,” Barty said after thumping 37 winners past Williams. “To play Venus on such a big stage is a privilege for me and to play so well like I did, I’m really excited.”