Payday on clay looming for Barty

WORLD No.1 Ash Barty continues to live dangerously on clay – but also keeps winning.

She beat Petra Kvitova for the fifth time in their past six meetings on Wednesday night to advance to the Madrid Open semi-finals, edging out the Czech star 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in a seesawing encounter.

Barty’s triumph extended her winning streak against top-20 opponents to 10, was her 15th consecutive victory on red clay and improved her season record to 24-3.

The 2019 French Open champion is firming as the favourite to take out the title at this year’s Roland-Garros event, which begins on May 30.

“It’s just (about) always staying in the fight,” Barty (right) said.

“Always staying in the hunt and never letting it slide away. That certainly doesn’t guarantee results, doesn’t guarantee success.

“(But) it guarantees you give yourself the best chance to do what you do and to figure it out and to find your way.”

On the men’s side, Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin confirmed his status as one of the game’s brightest talents with a 7-6(5), 6-2 upset victory over 14th seed Jannik Sinner.

The win not only propels him to a career-high ranking just outside the top 60, but sets up a third-round clash with Spanish clay-court king Rafael Nadal.

Barty gets the chance to exact revenge on in-form Spaniard Paula Badosa, who upset the Australian in straight sets last month in the Charleston quarter-finals on green clay.

She hasn’t lost since that match, notably winning five three-set clashes and clinching her tour-leading third title this season at Stuttgart not even two weeks ago.