Ash Barty the big winner as Australian Open field decimated

Some of Ash Barty’s biggest rivals are being badly affected by injury and Covid, opening the door for her to win the Australian Open.

Can Ash Barty win her home grand slam. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Olympic tennis champion Belinda Bencic and Tunisian Ons Jabeur have tested positive for Covid-19 after competing in the Abu Dhabi exhibition as more players withdraw from next month’s Australian Open.

Karolina Muchova became the latest to pull out of the grand slam because of injury. She hasn’t played since the US Open in September and will remain on the sideline in January.

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“I’m sad to announce that my 2022 season will not start in Australia. I’m doing all I can to get back on the court as soon as I’m able,” the 25-year-old wrote on Twitter.

It means three of the four Australian Open women’s semi-finalists from 2021 will miss the next edition of the tournament, which starts on January 17. Along with Muchova, Jennifer Brady and Serena Williams will also be absent from Melbourne Park.

It opens the door for Ash Barty to win her maiden Australian Open crown. The Queenslander lost to Muchova in this year’s quarter-finals and has never made it to the decider of her home major — but next year might be her best chance yet to go all the way.

Williams and Brady are both out because of injury concerns, while world No. 4 Karolina Pliskova will also be a no-show after injuring her hand last week.

Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, is another who had already announced she won’t be heading Down Under.

Ash Barty’s rivals are dropping like flies. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

World No. 10 Jabeur said she “will be back soon” after contracting Covid-19 and added she was experiencing “strong symptoms” despite being fully vaccinated.

Bencic said despite her diagnosis, she is still aiming to play in the Australian Open.

“Unfortunately and even though I am fully vaccinated, I recently tested positive for COVID-19,” the 23rd-ranked Swiss star said on Twitter.

“I am currently isolating and taking all precautionary (measures) to get through this as best as possible as I am experiencing quite severe symptoms (fever, aches, chills).

“While the timing is not ideal - as I was in the final stages of my preparations for the Australian Open swing - I will make my way to Australia as soon as I am cleared and past the isolation period.”

Rafael Nadal revealed this week he too had tested positive to Covid-19 while his coach Carlos Moya was in the same boat.

Moya, winner of the French Open in 1998, said in a series of tweets he had been experiencing “Fever, headache, sweating, pain all over the body, chills”.

With AFP