Ash Barty breaks into world top 50 after beating Elena Vesnina in Toronto

QUEENSLAND qualifier Ash Barty has broken into the world’s top 50 for the first time with one of her best wins, over 16th seed Elena Vesnina, in the WTA Toronto tournament.

Ash Barty has cracked the world top 50.

QUEENSLAND qualifier Ash Barty has broken into the world’s top 50 for the first time with one of her best wins, over 16th seed Elena Vesnina, in the WTA Toronto tournament.

Live rankings have Barty at No.48, 14 months after she had no ranking on her return from a sabbatical from the tennis tour.

The 21-year-old from Ipswich will meet Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza on Friday morning for a quarter-final berth.

Lost for many in the sudden improvement of Muguruza last month to win at the All-England club was a lead-up tournament in which she was beaten by Barty in the semi-finals at the WTA Birmingham grass event.

Ash Barty has cracked the world top 50.

By ranking, the 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win over Vesnina, Russia’s No.17, is Barty’s second best of a year in which she has risen from No.271.

Top-ranked man Andy Murray will lose the No.1 mantle either on Monday or the following week after withdrawing from next week’s Cincinnati tournament with his hip injury.

Rafael Nadal is best placed to hurdle Murray in the rankings after the world No.2 won his first match yesterday at the ATP Montreal event, as did third-ranked Roger Federer.

Murray says he still hopes to play the US Open from August 28 without a warm-up event.

Nick Kyrgios has another “Generation Next’’ showdown with German Alexander Zverev in the third round of the ATP Montreal event.

Kyrgios had a second straight-sets win in as many rounds, a 6-2, 6-3 advance past Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi.

Originally published as Ash Barty breaks into world top 50 after beating Elena Vesnina in Toronto