French Open 2019: Ashleigh Barty the most feared player left in the French Open draw

Forget Simona Halep and other top rated players, Ash Barty is the biggest threat at the French Open, according to two former stars who have jumped on the Barty Party bus.

Ash Barty is through to the French Open quarter-finals. Picture: Getty

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Grand Slam champions Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez have jumped onto Ashleigh Barty’s French Open bandwagon, rating the Australian an authentic title threat.

The Spanish pair insists Barty’s beguiling array of spins and slices presents too much of a puzzle for most opponents.

World No 8 Barty faces US 14th seed Madison Keys tonight (Wednesday) for the right to contest her first grand slam semi-final.

Triple French champion Sanchez Vicario says Barty’s broad armoury is a serious asset.

“She’s definitely the player that nobody wants to play because she has the variety,” Sanchez-Vicario said.

“She can play spin, slice, hard, drop shot, coming into the net or staying back.

“So I don’t think the players like playing her.

Quarter final feeling 😬🙈 @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/sz5UuierfA

— Ash Barty (@ashbar96) June 3, 2019

“She’s a big contender. I like her spirit. She’s a big fighter, she never gives up.

“Maybe it’s not her favourite surface (clay) but she’s learned to be patient, to prepare very well the points now.

“She’s a player who’s very dangerous, she’s a big contender I’m telling you. She has no pressure because maybe she’s not thefavourite as some of the others but she could keep doing really well.”

Wimbledon winner Martinez was similarly effusive.

“She’s doing unbelievable,” Martinez said. “The serve and the serve is a weapon here.

“She’s an all-round player, she can go to the net. Her slice hurts a lot of players that play very flat.

“She can keep going, of course.

“What I like when she’s not playing that good, she’s relaxed.

“She doesn’t get mad. She has that smile and it’s like ‘OK, I can do this.’

“Maybe she doesn’t have too much of a pressure until next year.

“But so far, I think she’s improving a lot and she’s a threat on any surface.”

Dual grand slam runner-up Mark Philippoussis said Barty’s use of doubles as a teaching tool and improved fitness are keysin her progress.

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“I’m just such a huge fan of her game,” Philippoussis said.

“As it’s evolved, I think it’s just a blessing that she played so much doubles over the years.

“It’s helped complete her game and she’s working very hard physically and it’s showing.

“She’s got in better shape and it’s the main reason the results are coming.

“She’s not rushing, taking her time and mixing up that slice and that forehand.

“I think there’s probably no-one better on the women’s tour, mixing up her play.

“She puts them (opponents) in that awkward position.”

NO DISTRACTIONS

Ash Barty is shutting out external distraction as she eyes a “hell of an opportunity” to chase French Open quarter-final success against Madison Keys.

Told Rod Laver is urging her to “go all the way” to become Australia’s first women’s champion since Margaret Court in 1973, Barty remains in blinkered isolation.

“I think obviously there's a little bit more talk around and a little bit more attention,” she said after fending off American Sofia Kenin 6-3 3-6 6-0.

“But for me, nothing changes.

Ashleigh Barty next faces Madison Keys.

“Very much we go through the exact same process after a match. Whether it's a win or a loss, it's the same recovery, same everything.

“I think that's probably what I've been doing best over the last 12 to 18 months.

“And it's put me in better positions. I'm in these positions now because I'm doing that better.

“So I think, you know, it's pretty incredible to be in this position now, deep into another slam, and a hell of an opportunity.”

Keys took Barty to the cleaners at Roland Garros two years ago, dismissing the Queenslander 6-3 6-2.

Barty avenged the defeat with Fed Cup success in February, but laments the nightmarish memories of a 2017 claycourt clash against Keys here.

Ashleigh Barty’s slice serve is among the most dangerous in the game.

“Yeah, I played her here at the French Open a few years ago in a match I would love to forget,” Barty said after beating Kenin.

“So I think it's very much a fresh, clean slate from this match.

“At Fed Cup, as well.

“(It’s a) different surface. I mean, as different as you can probably get, indoor hard to an outdoor clay court.

“I think it's an amazing opportunity for me to go out there and try and play my brand of tennis again, and take it to her as much as I can.

“She's obviously had really good success here in the past.”

Madison Keys has a great record at the French Open.

Keys reached the semi-finals here last season and is again thundering through the draw,

smiting away Katerina Siniakova 6-2 6-4.

Kenin hailed Barty’s vast array of weapons after bowing out.

“Her serve is really good. I mean, she does everything well,” Kenin said.

“She moves really well. Her slices, you know, there's not many girls on tour with a really good slice.

“Yeah, she has, like, the best slice.

“She has good hands, dropshots. Yeah, I mean, she's a great player.”

Sam Stosur made the semifinals in Paris in 2016.

Barty, who will rise to world No 5 after becoming Australia’s first quarter-finalist here since Sam Stosur in 2016.

Keys said: “It's going to be a tough one.

“I think she's (Barty) obviously playing well to make quarter-finals.

“I feel like clay actually suits her game really well with her kick serve and slice and all that.

“It's something I'm going to have to have a game plan set to be ready for her.”

Barty and Keys have clashed twice previously, with honours split.

The Queenslander won the pair’s most recent clash, posting a straight-sets win in Fed Cup in February.

Originally published as French Open 2019: Ashleigh Barty the most feared player left in the French Open draw