Barty knocks out Sharapova; Kerber ousted
MELBOURNE: Ashleigh Barty stunned Maria Sharapova to become the first hometown hope in a decade to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday, creating a frenzy in a nation desperate for Grand Slam success. On the same day, second seeded German Angelique Kerber crashed out of the tournament with an astonishing onesided loss to American Danielle Collins.
Roared on by a fiercely parochial crowd, including Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and tennis legend Rod Laver, 15th seed Barty held her nerve in the face of a late fightback from the Russian five-time Grand Slam champion for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win. The venue erupted when 22-year-old Barty finally sealed match point with an ace after Sharapova set Australian hearts racing with a surge towards the end of the third set.
“The crowd were unbelievable. I’ve never quite played in Rod Laver when it’s been that full,” said Barty, joking “that was a little bit close, wasn’t it?” after allowing Sharapova back into the match.
CRICKET STINT
Barty is familiar with Australia’s craving. She took a break from tennis in late 2014 to pursue experiences away from the tour, including playing professional cricket. “I needed to take that time away. I feel like I came back a better person on and off the court, a better tennis player. For me, having that 18 months off was vital,” she said.
Barty will now face Petra Kvitova for a place in the semi-finals. Twice Wimbledon champion Kvitova steamrolled American teenager Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-1 to sail into the quarter-finals on Sunday.
COLLINS’ STUNNER
Anyone unfamiliar with Danielle Collins — and that could be forgiven, really, considering her 0-5 mark at majors until this Australian Open — got a sense of what she’s all about during her surprisingly easy upset of former No. 1 Angelique Kerber.
Not just the 6-0, 6-2 scoreline Sunday that eliminated a threetime Grand Slam champion and put the unseeded Collins in the quarterfinals.
And not just the take-ballsearly aggressive approach that produced a “Did I read that right?!” edge of 29-6 in total winners for Collins, a 25-year-old American who won a pair of NCAA singles titles at the University of Virginia. “I’m my own person. I’m feisty. I love making it kind of a war. If somebody wants to get in my face on my unforced errors, I have no problem getting right back at them and making it a feisty match,” Collins said after the match.
STEPHENS OUT
Unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won a marathon three-setter against American fifth seed Sloane Stephens 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals on Sunday and match her best show in Grand Slams. “Sloane is a great player, is a fighter... and I had to be aggressive,” Pavlyuchenkova said.