Hot Barty on course for a spot in top 50

ASH Barty could break into the world’s top 50 by the end of the British grasscourt season, a prospect almost unthinkable 18 months ago as she switched back to tennis from cricket.

The Queenslander, who took a two-year break from tennis, now sits at a careerhigh mark of No.70.

The 2011 junior Wimbledon champion has always thrived on grass and showed it again in Birmingham yesterday when she upset Czech eighth seed Barbora Strycova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to reach her fourth quarterfinal of the season.

The victory gave Barty a tilt against either second seed Elina Svitolina or Camila Giorgi for a place in the semifinals.

If successful there, she would climb into the mid-60s but overall success this week – and a second WTA title this season – would thrust Barty inside the top 50.

And there is an even bigger opportunity to scale the ranking ladder at Wimbledon.

Daria Gavrilova will also contest the quarter-finals tonight and will break into the top 20 if she downs French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, overtaking Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the process.

Gavrilova defeated Czech Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 yesterday.

Barty, 21, was elated after beating Strycova.

“It feels great and obviously I love this grasscourt season,” Barty said.

“It’s nice to come through this tricky match.

“I love this court and I’m really excited to be in the quarter-finals.”

Barty fended off six break points, including three as she tried to seal the first set.

Taken to a deciding set, Barty swept through the last five games.

“I think (Strycova) was a top-20 player for a reason,” Barty said.

“She stayed solid and I gave her a few too many cheapies in that second set.

“I just had to change a little bit tactically and that worked in the third.”

TENNIS