BARTY MARCHES ON
Top Aussie Open seed feeling sharper
ASHLEIGH Barty is on Australian Open high alert with her path to Melbourne Park’s second week threatened by Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina – the most successful player on the women’s circuit this season.
Rybakina has won 11 of 12 matches in 2020, lifting the Hobart International title after losing the Shenzhen final.
The towering baseliner is into third round of a major for the first time, having eliminated Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen, but Barty doesn’t believe inexperience will hamper the 20year-old tomorrow.
“It may be a first (Grand Slam third round) ... but they’ll be ready, they’ll learn from it, they’ll enjoy it, experience it, everything that you need to do to kind of be out there,” Barty said.
“I think for me it’s about doing what I do best regardless of whether it’s a first round, third round or a final ... it doesn’t really matter ... I’m still going out there trying to do the same thing, essentially.”
World No.1 Barty will strictly adhere to routine as she attempts to build on a confidence-boosting 6-1 6-4 victory over Slovenia’s Polona Hercog.
As she continues crank up her levels, reigning French Open champion Barty will dissect both her own secondround win and Rybakina’s strengths and weakness.
“I think you feel more comfortable every day,” the Queensland said.
“Every time you’re able to win a match you have another opportunity to try and be that little bit better, to try to be that little bit more sharp and clean.
“I felt like I started a lot better today, and then the second set, as well, I was able to get out of some sticky service games towards the end of the set there.
“It’s just more opportunities, it’s more experience, more learnings, more everything from every time that I’m kind of thrown into a new situation.”
Barty landed 16 winners to Hercog’s 12, but was much cleaner off the ground with only 16 unforced errors to Hercog’s 30.
Pressured by strapping Hercog’s blistering power, Barty faced a total of six break points in three successive service games – a trend she’s anxious to avoid.