Australian Open: Proud of my heritage no matter what day it is insists Ash Barty

Ash Barty is recognised as the most meritorious of all the young Aussies, so to her, what does it mean to be an Australian?

Problem-solver Ash Barty found a way to defeat American Alison Riske. Picture: Getty Images

Ash Barty is a successful Australian. She is a headstrong Australian. She is a gregarious Australian. She is an ambitious Australian. She is a resilient Australian. She is a high-spirited Australian. She is an accomplished Australian.

She’s been recognised as the most meritorious of all the young Australians, so to her, what does it mean to actually be an Australian?

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“It’s just an ease of conversation and approachability,” she said before her extraordinarily complicated 6-3 1-6 6-4 win over American Alison Riske in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday night.

“And just knowing that there’s no kind of BS. We say it how it is. And that’s what I love. I love the honesty. I love the humility and I love how humble Aussies are.

“I think Australian values are very strong. We love someone who has a crack, puts themselves on the line, and regardless of whether they win or lose, just goes out there and does their best, goes about it the right way. When you become vulnerable and put yourself out there, it’s very challenging. It’s very confronting. But it’s very rewarding.”

Barty said she had no problem with Australia Day being held on January 26. Tens of thousands of protesters took part in “Invasion Day” rallies on Sunday.

“I wasn’t aware of the protest,” she said. “I wasn’t keeping an eye on it. I’m a proud, indigenous woman. I’m a proud Australian.

“For me, it doesn’t matter what day of the year it is. I’m going to stay true to my values all throughout the year, all throughout my life. Every single day I want to be kind, I want to be honest, I want to be humble, I want to give the best that I can.

That’s all that matters for me.”

Asked if it was awkward to be asked in her on-court interview about Australia Day, Barty replied: “Why should it be awkward? I’m an extremely proud indigenous woman. It’s not for me to decide what day Australia Day is on.

“Like I said, I’m staying true to my values. I am extremely proud of my heritage. That’s going to remain the same every single day of every single year for the rest of my life. It doesn’t really matter what day it is.”

In the first and third sets, Barty was unhurried and showed Riske every shot in the book: high balls, low balls, undercut balls, looping balls. Riske’s forehand was agricultural. She could make it work but it looked ungainly.

Barty was the natural. Riske was the machine. Barty controlled the tempo either side of the second set. She won the first three games in less than 10 minutes; Hall-of-Farmer John Fitzgerald only just had time to find his seat, the one just a couple down from Pat Cash.

Barty pieced together a point at 4-2, 15-0 that showcased all the artistry of her work: three varieties of forehands, a handful of backhands, moving Riske around like she was pulling her by a piece of string, the three-quarter tempo backhand winner. Just glorious.

She adjusted her strings between points like they belonged to a violin. Her first set was a good one, and so was her third.

For a period that alarmed her fans around Australia, the wicked wind that whipped around Rod Laver Arena threatened to dampen celebrations in the second set.

The hopes of a nation were blowing in the breeze, with Riske threatening to ruin the party.

But Barty is a problem solver. And she is as courageous as they come. In the third set, she regrouped and found a way to fight back

The decency, character and grit behind Barty’s rise to the world number one ranking have been so rewarding she needs a new pool room to put all her trophies, medals and gongs in.

Barty’s latest award was a reminder of one thing – she’s young. Just getting started. The age limit for the Young Australian of the Year award was 30, so she grabbed it with seven years to spare.

The prelude to her Riske business was Fitzgerald’s induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. The Cockaleechie Kid. Barty could do with a nickname. The Ipswich Impresario? Might not stick, that one. Fitzgerald gave a beautifully heartfelt speech, thanking his doubles partners for paying off his house, and cleared the stage for Barty by telling the masses: “Have a good night.”

If anyone should have been 100 per cent paranoid on Rod Laver it was Barty in light of her fourth-round defeat to Riske at Wimbledon last year.

The threat was no BS. After her latest honour, Barty was bound to be feeling good about herself; sure to be feeling the nationwide love; guaranteed to be driven by the fresh enthusiasms of the 15,000-strong crowd. She roared through the first set, fell off a cliff in the second, held her nerve and peeled off a masterclass in composure and execution in the middle stages of the decider. This might be an ideal surface for her, a relatively slow hard court, Roland Garros with a bit more pop.

She moved into the quarter-finals by the skin of her teeth. Her opponent? Petra Kvitova. The Czech beat her at the same juncture of last year’s Open. It was Kvitova’s fourth consecutive win over Barty. Then Barty beat her in three sets at the Miami Open. She beat her in another three sets at the China Open. And then she rolled through her in straight sets at the WTA Finals. The tide might have turned. No BS.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: COURTNEY WALSH