Australian Open: Barty finds a way past a tricky rival

Astra Sharma and Priscilla Hon are forced to battle it out to the background music of Sharapova’s caterwauling

Ash Barty reaches for a forehand on her way to victory last night over Luksika Kumkhum, who had previously tripped her up at Wimbledon. Picture: Getty Images

The flag bearer for Australia’s emerging band of talented women, Ash Barty continued her brilliant start to the Australian summer with a convincing win at Melbourne Park last night.

Pitted against Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum, who possesses an unconventional style that once tripped the Australian No 1 up at Wimbledon, Barty dropped the opening two games on Margaret Court Arena.

But as soon as the Sydney International finalist adapted to the conditions, she recaptured the brilliant form of the opening two weeks of this season to post a resounding 6-2 6-2 victory in just 57 minutes.

“This is unreal, isn’t it. We are always edgy to start competing again in the off-season, but to start in Australia, there is nothing better,” she said.

“It took me a little bit to get used to the conditions out here, but I felt like I was striking the ball well and I am very happy to come through in straight-forward fashion.”

The 15th seed became the fourth Australian woman to progress and will now play Yafan Wang from China, who was too solid for Melbourne-based wildcard entrant Ellen Perez, winning 6-4 6-0.

Earlier, two rising young stars of Australin tennis were forced to trade to a soundtrack of Maria Sharapova’s bloodcurdling shriek. Attached to the back fence a giant screen broadcast her match from Rod Laver Arena while Astra Sharma and Priscilla Hon played on Court 7.

When Sharma threw the ball up to serve, it was Sharapova who went hurgh-urgh!

Sharma dropped serve at 3-3 in the second set while the big screen, servicing spectators on the hill, blasted out Sharapova’s match.

Even Sharapova’s post-match interview was blaring away as the Austraians’ match concluded.

Sharma recorded a 6-4 5-7 6-1 victory against an opponent paralysed by hand-cramp and fatigue in the legs. Sharma can play. Big-time. She serves at a peak of 192km/h and backs it up with a WNBA-style athleticism in a 178cm frame. She’s one of three Australia female winners in the matinee session on day one at the Open before Barty stepped onto Margaret Court Arena last night.

“I was actually cramping a little bit in my leg,” Sharma said after winning the first grand slam match of her life. “I knew it was going to happen. We were both sweating so much. Like, my shirt was absolutely drenched. I could see her starting to cramp and I was just hoping that I could outlast her a bit. It was unreal. The best I’ve ever done.”

She won the two-hour fight by following a 185km/h serve, delivered with a Pete Sampras-ish ­motion, to the net. She flicked a half-volley drop shot winner ­before Hon threw her racquet at her courtside chair.

“Match point, I just kind of dug it out,” Sharma said. “It was mostly just relief because I respect her a lot. I knew if I didn’t put her out soon, it could turn around.”

Elsewhere, promising stuff from young Australian wildcards. Kimberley Birrell, 20, beat Spanish qualifier Paula Badosa Gibert 6-4 6-2. And Zoe Hives, 22, knocked off American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 6-2.

The 23-year-old Sharma attended a US college, Vanderbilt University at Tennessee, for five years before hitting the pro tour. Plan A was to study to become an orthopaedic surgeon. Plan B was tennis. The tennis took and the plans were swapped.

The raps on the late bloomer have become as large as the skidding serves, the high-kicking serves, the flat serves, the unplayable serves when they hit the mark. She swings wild and free. She’s the world No 232. She’s raw, but the potential is massive.

“I decided to go to college after I broke my ankle in a (minor-league) pro tour match,” she said. “Just while I was recovering and everything, I wasn’t doing too well in the pro circuit and ended up going to Vandy. Definitely the coaches there took me under their wing and developed me.

“I came out and absolutely wouldn’t be the player I am today if I didn’t go there. I heard such good things about Geoff, the coach there. He just seemed to know his stuff.

“We emailed a lot. I asked him about what he’d do for me development-wise. He came back with this incredible plan. I was really impressed. I was 100 per cent on go.”