World reacts to Ash Barty’s Australian Open semi-final nightmare

Aussie Ash Barty is about to endure a “sleepless night” after tennis legend John McEnroe exposed her biggest mistake at the Australian Open.

Ashleigh Barty’s Australian Open campaign is over after she was stunned by American Sofia Kenin in a boilover on Rod Laver Arena.

The World No. 1 was bitten in the big moments as her American opponent struck with incredible venom to steal the match 7-6 7-5 in straight sets, despite having to defend two set points in both sets played.

Barty’s incredible run to the semi-final took Australia on a wild ride as she emerged as a genuine threat to become our first Australian Open singles champion since 1978 — but there

was also real heartbreak as the Aussie sporting world realised the opportunity lost in Barty’s shock upset.

LEGEND REVEALS BIG BARTY BLUNDER

It wasn’t meant to be for Ashleigh Barty.

Tennis legend John McEnroe says Ash Barty failed to use the crowd as a weapon to her advantage as she fell flat with the Australian Open crowd.

There was stunned silence inside the venue when Barty failed to serve out the second set and went on to be broken again at the death.

McEnroe said Barty’s cool demeanour worked against her as the Rod Laver Arena failed to give her the normal advantages enjoyed at a home grand slam.

It didn’t help that the mercury soared above 39C at Melbourne Park during the match, while there were also plenty of spare seats inside the venue, despite Open officials making a desperate decision to cut ticket prices for the match on Wednesday night. The day session on Rod Laver Arena was not a sell out.

McEnroe said Barty made a mistake in failing to loft the crowd onto her side.

“I would recommend, as the outsider looking in, figuring out a way to use the crowd a little bit more to her advantage,” McEnroe said on Channel 9.

“Which I don’t think she did. I know it’s hot so people are a bit droopy, but somehow she’s got to show a little bit more outward, it’s not that she’s not trying, but I think people respond to that energy.”

“Ash I think felt the pressure, obviously there was a weight of expectation.

“She was good in the second, used that slice a lot more. That was effective and I thought she was going to get that second set.”

Aussie great Alicia Molik, who had been the most recent Aussie to make the last eight of the Aussie Open before Barty’s 2020 run, said the match will give Barty a “sleepless night”.

When asked if it will take a long time for Barty to get over the loss, Molik said: “It does take a long time.

“I think maybe tonight might be a sleepless night. I do know that Ash is with her team though right now.”

The tennis world was very much inspired by Kenin’s clutch performance, but it was equally pained by Barty’s “epic choke job”.

Sofia Kenin was ready when the moment came.

Kenin showed her Australian Open campaign has been no fluke. The 7-6 7-5 victory means Kenin is through to the final against unseeded former French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, having lost just one set for the entire tournament — and having won her last five matches in straight sets.

While the tennis world was in awe of Kenin’s fierce fighting, there was also stunned disbelief about Barty’s inability to end the home country’s 42-year wait for a local champion.

BARTY POOPER:

#14 Sofia Kenin beats #1 Ash Barty 7-6(6), 7-5 to reach the #AusOpen final, ending the hopes of a nation that has waited decade, and reaching her first Slam final.

Kenin, 21, will break into Top 10 on Monday.

She will face either Halep or Muguruza for the title.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 30, 2020

This never was no party. Making a grand slam final is meant to push these players to their limits. Barty is facing that now, she's still good enough to do it but Kenin is relentless, utterly relentless. #AusOpen

— Roy Ward (@rpjward) January 30, 2020

Barty had her chances. Bloody sad.

— Gay Alcorn (@Gay_Alcorn) January 30, 2020

Kenin, 21, beats No. 1 Barty and will be the first American not named Williams to play in an Australian Open final since Lindsey Davenport https://t.co/YeNDDqfFeO

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 30, 2020

💔 Ash Barty. Crushing.🎾#AusOpen #AO2020

— Damien Peck (@damopeck) January 30, 2020

Sofia Kenin, a 21-year-old American, seizes the moment at the Australian Open as No. 1 Ash Barty lets it slip. Kenin saves set points in both sets. Fights back to win 7-6 (6) , 7-5 and reach her first Grand Slam final.

Remarkable story. Remarkable spirit

Muguruza or Halep next pic.twitter.com/0yuYUgrO2n

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) January 30, 2020

That has to be bitterly disappointing for Ash Barty on her home court. Pretty remarkable Sofia Kenin's hot streak has continued to the point she's in the #AusOpen final.

— Candice Hare (@CandiceHare_) January 30, 2020

Full credit to Kenin, but that was an epic choke job by Barty, especially in the second set. #AusOpen

— josh rubin (@starbeer) January 30, 2020

One of the great chokes. Unfortunately, Barty will be living with that for a long time. Williams gone. Osaka gone. Final spot there to take. Went missing

— Adam Curley (@AdamCurleyMedia) January 30, 2020

Ash Barty chokes under pressure

— ❤️FEDERER NYAME (@Bridget_Otoo) January 30, 2020

AUS OPEN CROWD’S STUNNING OVATION

Ash Barty’s heartbreak reverberated around Rod Laver Arena as she retreated to her chair after shaking hands with her opponent and the chair umpire.

It left stunned silence everywhere it went.

The 23-year-old Aussie’s campaign was over. Nobody could believe it.

The Barty Party simply wasn’t meant to end like this.

The fighting Queenslander was knocked out one match short of the women’s singles final in a heartbreaking 7-6 7-5 nail-biter that stretched for a full hour and 45 minutes.

There was disbelief inside Australia’s most iconic tennis venue when Barty sat in her chair with an emotionless stare, just sucking in some deep breathes before the inevitable longest walk of her career — walking off Rod Laver Arena and out of the 2020 Australian Open.

Ashleigh Barty leaves the court.

You could hear every clunk as Barty tossed her racquets and equipment inside her two giant equipment sacks before hoisting them over each shoulder, looking like a kid on her first day of school.

That’s when the crowd suddenly remembered itself.

You can feel RLA's 💔. Stunned silence. Then roaring applause for Ash Barty and she walks off court. Ash shakes her head as she walks into the tunnel. Crazy scenes #AusOpen

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) January 30, 2020

The crowd is in shock at Rod Laver as @SofiaKenin, the unsung American, just knocked off Australian favorite @ashbarty in straight sets to book a spot in the #AusOpen final pic.twitter.com/QQZ8jjnzQF

— D'Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) January 30, 2020

Spellbound in disbelief and grief, only the sight of Barty making that harrowing walk towards the dark gloom of the player’s tunnel entry onto Rod Laver Arena saw the crowd woken up.

With almost unanimous agreement the home crowd rose as one and gave Barty a standing ovation as she trudged those painful steps.

The rousing reception didn’t cease until Barty was walking up the stairs towards the player’s locker room, deep in the bowels of the stadium. A simple wipe of her face was the only show of emotion as she passed the final camera planted inside the player’s tunnel walk.

Despite the mercury soaring to 38.9C as she walked off the court and the Australian Open official heat stress index reaching 4.9 (just 0.1 away from the closing of the Rod Laver roof and the automatic suspension of play on outside courts) there must have been a cold shiver rattling around inside Barty as she walked on all alone inside the tunnel — despite the wild ovation from Aussie fans still able to be heard up above.

Soon, however, Barty will be woken from her spell, and the World No. 1 will remember, just as the crowd up above did, that Australia just had a woman play in the semi-finals of the Australian Open — for the first time since 1984.

It wasn’t her day.

She will remember shortly too, that she made an entire nation proud. She will remember that for the first time since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005, Australia believed it had somebody that could break the 42-year drought that has stood ever since Chris O’Neill’s victory in the 1978 Australian Open women’s singles final.

She’ll remember she gave Australia somebody to believe in, somebody Aussie sporting fans were prepared to take a ride with.

Sure, it didn’t end the way it was supposed to, but Barty has given Australia something it hasn’t had in 15-years, and just like those proud fans inside Rod Laver Arena showed when they arose from their slumber, that’s enough, Ash. That’s plenty.

Her opponent summed it up perfectly.

“She is a tough player. She is playing really amazing,” Kenin said after the match.

“I knew I needed to find a way to win. Thank you so much. This wasn’t an easy one. I’m so grateful and thank you for this moment.

“Honestly, I’m so speechless. I honestly can’t believe this. I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was five years old.”

HOW BARTY FELL APART ON BIG MOMENTS

Ashleigh Barty missed it by that much.

Like many stats sheets, the Barty-Kenin official statistics don’t make sense.

Most would judge Barty was a nose in front after looking at the important numbers from their semi-final.

Barty hit more winners and had a better winner to unforced error ratio — 33 winner and 36 unforced errors to Kenin’s 15 winners and 26 unforced errors.

They each had four break point chances — Kenin converted two, Barty converted one.

In the end Kenin had her nose in front, winning 81 total points to Barty’s 78.

Tennis of course, isn’t necessarily a numbers game, and to explain Kenin’s upset you have to look much deeper.

The American simply came up huge in the big moments.

She defended set points against Barty in both sets before going on to win both of them.

Barty had two set points at 6-4 in the first set tiebreak and lost 8-6.

She had a set point while serving for the second set at 5-4 only to be broken on the back of a forehand put-away volley that slapped against the net cord.

Yikes. Barty, who had dropped only five points on her serve in the entire second set, gets broken while serving for it. On a botched overhead. 5-5. #AusOpen

— Nikhila (@kokudum) January 30, 2020