Australian Open 2021: Shelby Rogers looks to cause massive upset by beating Ash Barty
US star Shelby Rogers is counting on the absence of the Barty Party to improve her prospects of turning the tables on the world No.1 in their Australian Open quarter-final.
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Ten days after being beaten in a super tie-breaker during the Yarra Valley Classic, unseeded American Shelby Rogers says she is primed for another crack at world No. 1 Ash Barty.
The pair will meet in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday, after Rogers admitted Barty “kicked my butt a little bit” when it counted with a 7-5 2-6 (10-4) triumph in the quarter-final of the lead-up event.
That was just the second time Barty and Rogers had faced off, after also meeting in the 2017 Australian Open.
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Barty won the second-round match on that occasion, 7-5 6-1.
“I’m excited to get another shot,” Rogers said.
“Unfortunately again, the fans won’t be there. But maybe that’s in my favour this time. The Barty Party won’t be present.
“I’m excited again to play the best players in the world. That’s what we all strive to do every day and you’ve got to beat the best to be the best.”
Rogers, the world No. 57, overcame 21st seed Anett Kontaveit in straight sets on Saturday to progress to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for just the third time in her career.
However, playing a fit and in-form Barty in her home Grand Slam shapes as arguably the biggest challenge in women’s tennis.
The Aussie cruised through her own third-round match against 29th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2 6-4 on Saturday and again played down a lingering leg injury which saw her withdraw from the doubles competition.
Barty completed some practice at Melbourne Park on Sunday without strapping on her sore left leg, revealing some bruising.
“We are doing all the right things to make it as good as possible,” Barty said of the injury on Saturday night.
“It won’t affect me at all. I’ll be ready to go no matter what.”
Barty said the lack of a supportive home crowd “doesn’t change” how she goes about her game on court and she was preparing for an “exceptionally tough” match against Rogers.
“She’s got the ability to take the game away from you,” Barty said.
“That’s something I’m going to have to try and nullify and neutralise as best I can.
“At times it will be me scrapping and fighting. Other times I will be trying to take the more aggressive option. Other times, sometimes you have to almost dangle a carrot in a way where you tempt her to try and take some risks. I’ll have to do that, try all different things, just as I did last week and just as I’ve done every time that I’ve played her.”
Slice, slice baby: Barty powers into fourth round
Ash Barty’s silent but deadly weapon has another victim.
After a slow start and mid-match dip for the second straight contest, the world No. 1 continued her cakewalk through the Australian Open draw with a 6-2 6-4 thrashing of Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Barty broke Russia’s top-ranked woman for a fifth time with a forehand drive volley winner to complete the victory.
She progresses to a last-16 rematch with American Shelby Rogers, who she beat in three sets on her way to last week’s Yarra Valley Classic title. Rogers breezed past 21st seed Anett Kontaveit 6-4 6-3.
Barty’s much-vaunted backhand slice helped pick apart Alexandrova in another masterful display of her all-court skills.
“I think sometimes I love to overuse (my slice), but it was certainly something I wanted to implement tonight, just to change the tempo of the match and get it back on my terms a little bit,” Barty said.
“Hopefully, it brings me some forehands as well. So happy with the way we were able to control it tonight in all different parts of the night.
“I’ve never played with her before and never hit with her before and the start was pretty good. It was good ball-striking.
“I just had to figure out where I wanted to place the ball and change my patterns, but I was happy with the run I was able to get on.”
Alexandrova jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but lost the next seven games and control of the contest.
The Australian didn’t get as far ahead as a round earlier against countrywoman Daria Gavrilova, but she stumbled again – coinciding with her going away from a heavy slice approach.
The big-hitting Alexandrova managed to hold onto her serve again, then capitalised on some rare loose Barty errors to snatch a 4-2 second-set lead.
It proved only a brief twist in the script.
Barty held comfortably to draw closer before winning the first three points on Alexandrova’s serve, although it took until her sixth opportunity for her to tie the set.
As with the earlier run of games, the contest suddenly became a procession, with Barty running Alexandrova ragged with an array of angles and short slices.
Barty again wore strapping high on her left leg, but of greater concern would be the lapses, which may be the result of her extended period away from the sport last year.
She lost the second set in two of her matches last week as well.
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