Barty proud despite loss
DISAPPOINTED but hardly devastated, Ashleigh Barty has accepted her surprise fourthround Wimbledon defeat with signature grace and class.
The world No.1 offered no excuses, only congratulations for unseeded Alison Riske after the free-swinging American crashed Barty’s party with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 boilover on Monday night.
“Absolutely no regrets,” Barty said after falling a set short of becoming the first Australian since Jelena Dokic 19 years ago to reach the Wimbledon quarter- finals.
“We’ve planned our days and prepared as best that we can. Today wasn’t my day. I didn’t win. It’s not the end of the world. It’s a game.
“I love playing the game. I do everything in my power to try and win every single tennis match, but that’s not the case.
“It’s disappointing right now. Give me an hour or so, we’ll be all good. The sun’s still going to come up tomorrow.”
Riske by name and risky by nature, the world No.55 bludgeoned 30 winners and committed only 15 unforced errors in recording her tour-best 14th grasscourt victory of the season.
The Court 2 shock also ended Barty’s 15-match winning streak and scuppered the 23-year-old’s hopes of completing a rare French OpenWimbledon title double. Barty, though, was philosophical in defeat, reflecting instead on the most magnificent two months of her career.
“Overall it’s been a hell of a trip,” she said.
“Disappointed right now, obviously it’s a tough pill to swallow. In the same breath, it’s been an incredible few months.
“New ground for me here at Wimbledon. This is the best we’ve done.
“Also proud of the fact what we’ve been able to do over the last eight weeks. The consistency we’ve brought day in and day out, has been next to none.
“I have an incredible team of people around me who love me and support me, and are with me through this journey.
“It’s easy to go back and chat to them about it. There are so many things we wish we had done. The what ifs.
“That’s not what we try to focus on. We focus on the positives. The positives of what have been over the last two months, last six months, and for this year, it’s been incredible.’’
A silver lining was the fourth-round loss later of third seed Karolina Pliskova, which guarantees the Queensland the world No.1 ranking until at least the start of the American hardcourt season. Barty will return to Brisbane for a rest before starting her US Open build up in Montreal.