Barty returning to court

Tennis: World No 1 Ash Barty will join Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in playing a preAustralian Open exhibition event in Adelaide, organisers confirmed yesterday.

US Open winners Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka and women’s No 2 Simona Halep will be part of the eightplayer field, which also includes 19yearold Italian Jannik Sinner.

The Adelaide event, dubbed ‘‘A Day at the Drive’’, will launch Australia’s summer of tennis and take place at the city’s Memorial Drive Tennis Centre on January 29.

Barty (24) has not played since last February, opting not to defend her French Open title and skipping the US Open in New York amid the Covid19 pandemic. — Reuters