BARTY AIMING TO DOUBLE UP IN US

TENNIS: No time to dwell, Ashleigh Barty set her sights on retaining the US Open doubles crown after crashing out of the singles at Flushing Meadows.

A philosophical Barty preferred to reflect on a watershed grand slam season, highlighted by her magical French Open triumph in June and rise to No.1 in the rankings, than mope about after a 6-2 6-4 loss to Qiang Wang.

“It’s been incredible,” Barty said. “Yeah, I mean, it’s (been) a tough day at the office today, but it’s been a year where we’ve hit our goals.

“Obviously I would have loved to have kept going here in singles, but we’ve got an opportunity to do that in doubles.”

World No.18 Wang was the highest-ranked rival Barty had played since the French Open semi-finals two months ago – and she was simply unable to rise to the occasion.

The second seed’s numbers told the story, Barty committing 39 unforced errors in 18 games and unable to convert any of nine break-point chances.

“Q was very good, very solid. I felt like she WAY OUT: Ashleigh Barty reacts during her defeat by Qiang Wang of China, and (inset) Alex de MInaur. — Darren Walton BASKETBALL:

Australia claimed a recordbreaking win over Canada in their opening World Cup game but veteran Patty Mills isn’t content.

The Boomers etched their names in history books with a triple digits score against the Canadians.

The 108 points were the most in a single game for the Boomers in the history of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Matthew Dellavedova dropped a game-high 24 points, including six of 10 from beyond the arc.

Joe Ingles dished out 10 assists, the most in a game by an Australian player since assists became part of the box score in 1994, and the team had 24 assists, another national record.

“We are not satisfied at all,” Mills said. “Obviously it’s good to get the first one but we are on a mission here to be able to achieve something that we’ve never done before and win a medal.

“This is a business trip for us. We understand that and we are locked in and focused on what we are trying to do.”

If Australia beat Senegal today (5.30pm) and Canada loses to Lithuania, the Boomers will qualify for the second round.

Mills praised Dellavedova for sticking solid with his new shooting stroke despite it being questioned by some critics during Australia’s World Cup warm-up matches.

“It’s good for him to come out and play with confidence to be able to do what Delly does,” Mills said. “It was good to see some of his shots go down.

“But everyone executed their game to a tee against Canada and we are going to have to keep building on that.

“It is going to take all of us to get to where we want to be.”

WANTING MORE: Patty Mills.

was able to put the ball with great depth in difficult positions for me,” Barty said. Champion last year with Coco Vandeweghe, Barty and current partner Victoria Azarenka are through to the last 16 of the women’s doubles. The eighth seeds were due to play American teenage sensation Coco Gauff and fellow prodigy Caty McNally early this morning. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur is vowing to return hungrier after copping a grand slam reality check. De Minaur’s promising US Open campaign came to a shuddering halt at the hands of resurgent former world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 6-3 6-4. “The person that I am, I want things now. I am a bit disappointed because I saw this as a big opportunity to hopefully go further,” the 20-year-old said. “But ... this is going to make me hungrier.” Novak Djokovic's US Open title defence ended when the world No.1 succumbed to a shoulder injury in his round of 16 clash with Stan Wawrinka.