Barty beats demons to be back on court
PAUL MALONE THREE years after they experienced the heights of world tennis, Ash Barty credits Casey Dellacqua with helping her back to the WTA Tour despite facing her own problems.
Barty, 20, has scored a singles wildcard into the main draw of the Brisbane International and the Australian Open, also landing a doubles wildcard with Dellacqua for the Queensland Tennis Centre tournament which starts tomorrow week.
Barty had 15 months away from tennis because she wanted to spend more time at home in Ipswich, later telling News Corp she had experienced some symptoms of depression while touring away from Australia in 2014.
Barty stepped away from professional tennis at 17, despite winning $US540,652 in 2013, the year she and Dellacqua were runners-up in three Grand Slam events.
Dellacqua’s concussion, suffered in a fall during a doubles match in China in October last year, restricted her to a handful of WTA doubles events this year – and none from April.
Dellacqua, 31, told Perth’s Sunday Times in October that she had felt feelings of anxiety later the year about needing to “rush back’’ to the tour.
“A big part of it (sticking with tennis as a career in 2016) was Casey,’’ Barty said. “Earlier in the year when she was going through some of her issues, I caught up with her and we spent some time on court. It was just good to have a mate, who’s known what I’ve been through.
“Brisbane was where we played our first tournaments together (as doubles partners) in 2012 and we made the semifinals. It’s pretty cool for me to resurrect my career with her being here too.’’
Barty is ranked No.274 in the world after having no singles ranking until June.
She has played only four singles tournaments this year because of injuries, particularly a bone stress problem in her right arm which she said yesterday she had overcome.
Tennis Australia has one more women’s singles main draw wildcard to award to both the Brisbane International and the Australian Open.
Dellacqua, 31, is in contention for one or both despite not having a WTA singles ranking. She was ranked a career-high No.26 in 2014.
TA’s plans for their men’s wildcards for the Brisbane International and later summer tournaments revolve around the fitness of Olympians John Millman and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Millman is guardedly optimistic his hip soreness will be manageable enough for him to take up a main draw wildcard into Brisbane.
Shoulder surgery last summer restricted Kokkinakis to one match this year, at the Rio Olympic Games, and in training he has battled to stay on court several days in a row.
Top Australian coach Darren Cahill tweeted in Adelaide yesterday: “It brought a smile to my face to see (Kokkinakis) back on court and working hard at Memorial Drive.’’
TA has two more men’s wildcards to award for the Brisbane International if Millman is able to play and Australian No.3 Jordan Thompson will be a direct entry, not needing a wildcard, if one more player withdraws.