BARTY SENDS AUSTRALIAN OPEN WARNING WITH TITLE
Adelaide (Australia), Jan. 9: World number one Ashleigh Barty showed why she is the Australian Open favourite when she demolished Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the final of the Adelaide International on Sunday.
Barty took just 64 minutes to see off the seventh seeded Rybakina 6-3, 6-2 and claim the 14th singles title of her career.
The 25-year-old Australian has been in superb form this week and has had to beat a host of top players in a stacked top half of the draw.
She received a first round bye, but then faced Coco Gauff (world number 22), Sofia Kenin (12) and Iga Swiatek (9) on her way to the decider.
“We’ve obviously had a brilliant week, been able to work progressively through each match,” Barty said. “I got better and better.”
Against the big-serving Rybakina, the world number 14, Barty dominated every aspect of play and took control of the match midway through the first set.
Both players started well, dropping only two points each on serve in their first three games, so it came as a surprise when at 3-3, Barty stumbled slightly and found herself at 15-40.
But Rybakina was unable to convert either break point and Barty made her pay.
She held her serve then pounced immediately as Rybakina seemed to lose focus, breaking and then holding to love to take the first set in 29 minutes.
Andhra Pradesh girl Jyothi Surekha Vennam emerged winner in the women’s senior compound competition in the 1st NTPC National Ranking Archery Tournament at the Gachibowli Stadium here on Sunday. The 25-year-old PSPB archer Jyothi, who hails from Vijayawada, shot 146 points to take the top spot. Maharashtra’s Aditi Gopichand Swami came second with a point less while Priya Gurjar from Rajasthan was third with 142 points.
In the senior women’s recurve section, Jharkhan’s Ankita Bhakat came first ahead of AAI (Punjab) archer Simranjeet Kaur and Haryana’s Ridhi.
Rajasthan’s Rajat Chauhan pipped Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar of Maharashtra in an intense tiebreaker to win the senior men’s compound title. Both the archers shot 145 but Rajat had last laugh in the decider. Another Maharashtra boy Prathamesh Balchandra Fuge was third with 147 points
In the senior men’s recurve section, SSCB archers sweeped the podium as Sukhchain Singh was the winner ahead of second-placed Rahul Kumar Nagarwal and Bommadevara Dhiraj.