Barty’s up for a sizzler

ASHLEIGH Barty is ready for the grand slam pressure cooker as she attempts to pull off a tennis feat not achieved in almost half a century.

No Australian woman has won two slams in a single season since Margaret Court in 1973.

But having already rewritten history in a stunning season of firsts, Barty launches her US Open title assault with the chance to complete a glorious grand slam season in ultimate fashion.

And the world No.2 says the hotter the better.

As some of her rivals fret over the prospect of another sapping fortnight in New York, Barty is ready for whatever conditions confront her at Flushing Meadows.

“Oh, it’s all right. It’s not that bad,” Barty said with a typical shrug of the shoulders ahead of her first-round clash with Kazakh Zarina Diyas.

“Last year there were a few days where it was pretty stifling but I think as well here it gets a little bit trapped, almost a little bit like a concrete jungle where it just gets sucked in and on the court especially it can get pretty warm. But it’s certainly no different to a Brisbane summer.”

Of more concern to the French Open champion is negotiating a path past Diyas, who Barty edged 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in their only previous encounter, also on a hard court, in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

“It’s been a long time since I played her — six or seven years ago — so that’s almost a nothing match, a bit of a clean slate, a fresh start,” Barty said.

“I haven’t seen much of her lately, so it’s a bit of new one to me. I know she’s done well in big tournaments before and presents a challenge. She’s solid, she competes hard and you have to be ready.”

Barty, opening proceedings on Arthur Ashe Stadium, is among four Australians in action overnight.

Former champion Samantha Stosur, who received a wildcard into her 15th US Open, plays Ekaterina Alexandrova in the day’s second match on Court 5.

Daria Gavrilova is up against Fiona Ferro and Alex de Minaur meets doubles star Pierre-Hugues Herbert.