Barty time as home favourite bids to live up to Aus Open hype
MELBOURNE: Ashleigh Barty is two victories away from becoming the Australian Open’s first home-grown winner in 42 years, but the top seed must first tame aggressive American Sofia Kenin on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Barty is the only Australian left in the men’s or women’s draw and will be expected to beat Kenin, the 14th seed contesting her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Barty, into the semi-finals at the Australian Open for the first time, has defeated the American in four of their five previous meetings. Excitement is growing that Barty can become the first Australian winner since Chris O’Neil in 1978. But the world number one and reigning French Open champion is trying to ignore the hype.
“I don’t pay attention to it, honestly. I’m here to try and do the best that I can,” she said, after defeating Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals. “Obviously it’s exciting. Hopefully I can bring a smile to a few faces around our country and around the world.”
Underdog Kenin, 21, is flying the flag for the United States as the only American left at the Australian Open. Born in Moscow but a fiercely proud American—her racquet is in the colours of the stars and stripes— Kenin is adamant she will not shrink in the face of what will be vocal home support for Barty. “I guess I could just say aggressive, the fight in me,” she said, asked what her strengths are.
Kenin defeated the 15-yearold sensation Coco Gauff on the way to the last four.