Australian Open 2019: Ash Barty, Alex de Minaur, Astra Sharma advance to round two
Fan favourites Ash Barty and Alex Di Minaur have both recorded crushing victories on day one of the Australian Open, signalling their intentions to go deep in the tournament. AUSSIE WRAP
Tennis
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Australia’s hunger for a champion is not lost on Ash Barty who insists she is not feeling any added pressure after steamrolling her way into the Australian Open second round.
The 22-year-old demolished Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum 6-2 6-2 in aggressive fashion on Monday night, stamping her intentions on her home grand slam.
But the steely 15th seed is adamant that she is not feeling any extra heat despite the high hopes.
“No, no, I don’t think you do,” she said.
“I think for me it’s more about focusing on what I can with my tennis and my game, then going out there on the court and trying to enjoy it, embrace it, and play with freedom.”
Barty has been installed by bookmakers as fourth-favourite to win at $13, but said any expectation simply came with the territory.
“I think Australians in general love their sport. That’s certainly no secret,” Barty said.
“We’ve been very spoilt across all codes and forms of the game to have legends, those that have achieved unthinkable things, especially in tennis as well. We’ve had legends throughout all of tennis history in Australia.
“Australians are hungry for sport. They love it. They’re addicted to it. I think at this time of the year it always floats around with tennis that they’re looking for an Australian player, in particular, to go deep and have a really good run.”
The swift victory – which came after Barty weathered a “slow” start – came just 48 hours after her loss in the final of the Sydney International, and while the turnaround was quick, the Queenslander said it was “a nice problem to have”.
Barty will play China’s Yafan Wang – ranked 64th – on Wednesday and is sure her preparation would not be affected with coach Craig Tyzzer not at Melbourne Park due to illness.
“We talk about the same things before a match. It’s just by phone call as opposed to person,” she said.
“I’m extremely lucky to have a Fed Cup captain like Mol (Alicia Molik) who can step in and help out. It’s a very seamless transition.”
DEMON THRIVES IN HEAT FOR DOMINANT WIN
Australia’s newest tennis darling Alex de Minaur continued his hot form on Monday as he powered through to the second round of the Open.
The 19-year-old swept aside Portugal’s Pedro Sousa in three sets only days after winning his maiden ATP title in Sydney on Saturday.
De Minaur was initially upset organisers scheduled him to play on Day 1, rather than benefit from an extra day’s rest, but the workhorse baseliner looked fresh as he triumphed 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
In particular, the Sydney-sider appeared to handle the sweltering 34 degree heat much better than Sousa, dispatching him in less than two hours despite the quick turnaround.
The win means the country’s top-ranked men’s player and No. 27 seed is on a crash course to play No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal in the third round on Friday if he can win again on Wednesday.
De Minaur, who joked about his fledgling driving skills post-match after only recently securing his license, said he was thrilled to continue his momentum.
“I’m very happy with my performance,” De Minaur said.
“I thought I had to be really tough today and to back it up from Sydney I was really proud to get it done in three sets.”
De Minaur spent more than three hours on court across two matches on Saturday and caught a private jet arriving into Melbourne at 3am on Sunday to maximize his recovery time.
The rising star showcased his signature running power in the first set as he made a desperate effort to chase down a precise drop shot, then follow-up with a backhand smash winner.
After the match Di Minaur paid tribute to fitness coach Tom Couch, the son of late Brownlow Medalist Paul Couch, for helping him prepare for the tournament.
“I’m very proud of the work we put in in the off-season,” he said.
“Couchy took me through a very tough preseason to get me ready for this, especially the Australian summer.
“To be able to back up day after day, we did a lot of running, bike, boxing, which I’m not very good at, swimming, which I need my floaties for, but I’m glad it’s paying off.”
Renowned for his ability to stay in points and force errors from his opponents, Di Minaur delivered a blinding backhand winner up the line at a crucial stage in late in the second set.
The bullet put him 30-0 up at 5-5, and helped the tenacious teen clinch the second set as Sousa’s game soon began to fray with a series of loose shots.
Ranked 103, Sousa never seriously threatened to win the match, in his first grand slam appearance.
In contrast, Di Minaur was tight on serve, dropping only one service game for the match.
MILLMAN ADVANCES TO SECOND ROUND
John Millman has picked up his grand slam form where he left it, defeating world No.80 Federico Delbonis in the first round of the Australian Open.
Having toiled through the first three sets, the 29-year-old then made short work of the Argentinian, winning the first five games in the fourth set before settling with a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 triumph in two hours and 37 minutes.
The popular Queenslander, who shocked the tennis world by punting Roger Federer from the US Open last year, joined a fleet of Australian winners on day one at Melbourne Park.
SHARMA PREVAILS AFTER LENGTHY MATCH
Astra Sharma was on her way to a job operating on professional athletes when her own sporting career took off.
Sharma had dreams of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon when she joined Vanderbilt University, Nashville, in 2013.
She would play college tennis and also start the long journey towards a medicine degree.
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Her game improved dramatically, winning All-American honours, and she now finds herself in the second round of her home Grand Slam.
It was her first match in a major tournament.
“It feels pretty big-time,” Sharma said.
“(It’s) such a big honour to be here. Today was obviously really hot, but (I’ve) been doing my recovery, and I feel ready for the next round already. I think just the adrenaline.”
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The 23-year-old from Perth defeated friend and fellow Aussie Priscilla Hon 7-5 4-6 6-1 at Melbourne Park on Monday, with the pair battling it out for more than two hours in searing heat.
“In one way it’s good, because one person’s definitely getting through,” she said of the match-up.
“On the other hand, you don’t really want to play your friends first round of a slam, but I think we both just put that aside.
“We are very friendly off-court, but on-court, I think we’re both just business, right?”
Early in the third set Hon required medical assistance, telling an official she “threw up a little bit”.
The Queenslander’s temperature and blood pressure were checked before a doctor was called.
Sharma has fought her way into the Open.
She played three games during the wildcard playoffs but lost in the final. She won through in qualifying, playing four matches.
By making it to the second round, Sharma will pocket at least $85,000, having only earned $72,880 during her pro career so far.
Her second-round opponent will be the winner of the match between Greece’s Maria Sakkari and French Open 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko, the 22nd seed.
Meanwhile, Zoe Hives has parlayed her Australian Open wildcard entry into the biggest win of her fledgling career.
The 22-year-old Victorian defied her ranking of No.225 in the world to upstage seasoned American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 6-2.
Hives earned a second-round crack at French 19th seed Carolina Garcia after joining Sharma as a first-time main-draw winner at the Open.
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