Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty keeps composure in face of noise onslaught from Aryna Sabalenka

ARYNA Sabalenka is a serious talent. But her grunting, screeching and shrieking is a blight on tennis, says Leo Schlink, and raises serious questions about officialdom’s failure to address the issue. JOIN THE DEBATE.

Aryna Sabalenka took grunting to new levels on Tuesday night.

ASH Barty was well briefed.

The noise would be loud, grating and long.

First-round Australian Open survival against Aryna Sabalenka would be a test as much of mind as body.

Fortunately for Australian supporters, Barty’s composure was critical on Tuesday night as her trademark flair and skill.

Unfortunately for Sabalenka, her outstanding talent was muffled by the horrendous noise she made after virtually every shot.

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Her grunting, screeching and shrieking is a blight on the sport, raising serious questions about officialdom’s failure to address the issue.

Tennis has a hind­rance rule relating to noise, but it wasn’t enforced on Tuesday night when it should have been — and the crowd took it upon itself to mock both the umpire and Sabalenka at length.

On a day when Maria Sharapova — one of contemporary tennis’ original and most annoying grunters — noisily advance, Sabalenka charged into the public realm for the wrong reasons.

As Martina Navratilova and John Newcombe have been long observed, grunting needs to be addressed.

Sabalenka is a precious talent, relentlessly aggressive and adventurous.

But the timing of her screeching is questionable.

Much of it seems to come well after the ball leaves the racquet strings — and that is unacceptable.

Barty’s coach Craig Tyzzer warned the Australian No. 1 just how loud the young Belarusian would be.

True to form, the laid-back Queenslander took it in her stride.

“I think if something that small can irritate you, that’s a bigger issue in itself,” she said.

Ashleigh Barty pushed aside her opponent’s antics to advance.

“I knew it was coming. I was prepared for it.

“I mean, obviously in the first couple of games, you get used to it — everyone has a bit of a different grunt, but, no, you get used to it.”

It was a different story for Rod Laver Arena spectators and for television viewers.

A magician with almost any type of ball, racquet or bat in hand, the self-effacing Barty has always managed to make the difficult appear simple.

More often than not, she does it with a smile — even when it comes to the serious business of grand slam warfare.

On Tuesday, Barty’s smiles came late and less frequently, but, mercifully, she survived — and, from her side of the net, in glorious silence.