No. 1 back in Barty’s grasp

ASHLEIGH Barty will enter next week’s US Open as provisional world No.1 — but seeded second — amid fitness doubts over defending champion Naomi Osaka.

Battling knee soreness, Osaka (6606) currently holds a slender 105-point rankings lead over Barty (6501) heading into the final grand slam of the season.

The Japanese baseliner will hold top spot until at least the start of the tournament, also top seeding, but she is under immense pressure to stave off Barty.

With the 2000 points Osaka earned for beating Serena Williams in last year’s Flushing Meadow final to drop from her tally on Monday, Barty will provisionally move back to the top.

Barty will drop 240 points for her 2018 fourth-round finish while current world No.3 Karolina Pliskova (6315) will lose 430 for last season’s quarter-final run. The trio’s performances at Flushing Meadow will decide ownership of the No. 1 mantle.

Barty was left with mixed feelings after losing 6-2, 6-4 to Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Cincinnati Open semifinals. Had Barty reached the final, she would have proceeded to New York as the restored world No. 1 but the Queenslander was betrayed by her usually solid serve.

“I think it probably started with the serve for me," Barty (pictured left) said.

"Giving Svetlana that many looks at second serves, I know I'm not going to get free points off my first serve off Sveta.

"She's an incredible returner and retrieves a long way, so is able to make a lot of returns.”