Ash Barty party rolls on at WTA Finals in Shenzen

After breaking the $10m barrier the money keeps rolling in for Aussie tennis star Ash Barty and she’s in line to collect a huge $6m windfall.

We’d be smiling too if we were racking up millions of dollars the way Barty is.

Ashleigh Barty has sealed her place in the semi-finals of the elite season-ending championships and eliminated Petra Kvitova with a decisive 6-4 6-2 win over the dual Wimbledon champion.

Rebounding from her last-up pool loss to Kiki Bertens, Barty delivered the most impressive serving display of the WTA Finals thus far to top the Red Group in Shenzhen with a 2-1 record for the week.

The first eight matches of the tournament had produced an extraordinary 65 service breaks — at an average of one every three games — on the notoriously slow purple indoor court.

But, clutch under pressure, Barty was unbroken on Thursday night, winning 79 per cent of points after landing her first delivery and firing down six aces.

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And she needed to be, with Kvitova playing typically aggressive tennis in her desperate attempt to remain in the semi-finals hunt.

Attacking at every opportunity, the Czech pounced on anything remotely short, especially second serves, winning 61 per cent of rallies after Barty faulted.

Barty stayed cool, breaking Kvitova in the fifth game of the opening set and twice more in the second, which was enough to give Australia’s top seed her third straight win over the world No. 6.

“I felt like I executed really well tonight,” Barty said. “I knew I had to play aggressively and it was important when I was serving to keep my nose in front.

“It’s really exciting to have another chance to play again here on this beautiful court.”

READ: Barty’s record $10 million payday

Ash Barty is ending the year on a high.

Barty had lost to Kvitova in the pair’s first four encounters, including in straight sets in this year’s Australian Open quarter-finals. But Barty is different player nine months on, a grand slam champion with the year-end world No. 1 ranking all wrapped up after a stellar 2019 campaign that has already yielded three titles from five finals and an eye-watering $11.44 million.

The unprecedented windfall for an Australian player in a single season has more than doubled her entire career earnings.

And there could be much more to come after Barty became the first Australian since Samantha Stosur in 2012 to qualify for the semi-finals at the season finale.

Barty has guaranteed herself at least $1.45 million for the week by making the last four in Shenzhen — and could land a $5.98 million pot of gold with victory in Sunday’s final.

The 23-year-old will play either world No. 2 Karolina Pliskova or Wimbledon champion Simona Halep for a spot in the title decider.

Halep and Pliskova clash on Friday night.

Belinda Bencic claimed the second semi-final position from Barty’s group after also finishing with a 2-1 winning record.

The Swiss was leading Bertens 7-5 1-0 when Bertens quit their match on Thursday night feeling unwell.

The Aussie is eyeing off nearly $6m in prizemoney if she can win the season-ending tournament.