Barty in a better place to battle superhero of tennis
Ashleigh Barty will play Serena Williams for the first time since she was an overwhelmed, error-prone and anxious teenager.
Ashleigh Barty will play Serena Williams for the first time since she was an overwhelmed, error-prone and anxious teenager.
It was a comprehensive defeat to the American under the bright lights of Rod Laver Arena that sent Barty spiralling towards the 18-month sabbatical from tennis that was most notable for the six she slogged out of Junction Oval during her cricketing debut in the Women’s Big Bash League.
Barty lost 6-2 6-1 to Williams in the first round of a much-hyped Australian Open match in 2014. She was 17 and showing the first signs of unravelling to the extent that she would quit the sport later in the year.
How times have changed. When she meets the catsuit-wearing, statement-making Williams again at the French Open tomorrow night, the 22-year-old will be the world No 17 rather than the world No 155. Williams is no longer the world No 1 — the computer has her at No 451 — but since she humbled Barty so emphatically on home soil, the 36-year-old has added six grand slams and a daughter to her tally of major accomplishments.
The will of the woman is unrivalled.
“You want to play the big names and you want to test yourself against the best, and I think any opportunity you can do that is good,” Barty said. “It’s been a few years now and I think I’ll have to use those experiences, both the good and the bad from that match, going into my next match. But I think I’m in a very different place. I think Serena is also in a very different place. She’s a genuine champion and I think just, what an opportunity.”
Barty’s 6-3 6-1 thumping of Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva proved her credentials as a bolter for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. She would start favourite against the match-starved Williams if not for the ferocious fight and self-belief in the 23-time major champion. Williams boldly wore a skin-tight black catsuit while beating Czech Kristyna Pliskova 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in her first majors match since the birth of her daughter, Alexis.
“I call it, like, my Wakanda-inspired cat suit. It’s really fun,” Williams said in reference to the fictional African nation from the Black Panther movie. “I feel like a warrior princess. I always wanted to be a super hero.
“It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically with their body, to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves.
“I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids. It just kind of expands that and I really, really embrace it.”
Williams added: “The catsuit, I had a lot of problems with my blood clots, and, God, I don’t know how many I have had in the past 12 months.
“So it’s definitely a little functionality to it. I have been wearing pants in general a lot when I play so I can keep the blood circulation going. It’s a fun suit but it’s also functional so I can be able to play without any problems.”
Williams has always spoken fondly of Barty. After their meeting at the Australian Open turned into a fizzer because Barty was spooked by the enormity of the occasion, Williams appeared to want to give her a hug instead of a post-match handshake.
“What she’s done to be able to get back … is a pretty amazing thing,” Williams said.
“She’s playing unbelievable. She’s had such an amazing year last year and this year as well. She’s continuing her amazing rise since she came back and been so focused on tennis so it will be a really good, another good show for me. She does everything great. You know, I’ll be excited to go out and see what I can do.”
Barty, Samantha Stosur and Daria Gavrilova were all playing their opening matches at the French Open on Tuesday night. A trio of wins were on the cards. Or a trio of losses. Who really knew? As a senior American sportswriter suggested at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden a couple of years ago, “Australian tennis, huh! What a madhouse!”
Stosur defeated Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer 6-2 6-4. Gavrilova defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. They could beat virtually anyone in the tournament. They could lose to them too.
To recap events in Paris, Nick Kyrgios and Bernie Tomic drew each other in the opening round at Roland Garros but as if they were determined to prove exactly how unpredictable they were, neither of them managed to make it through to the second round. That took some doing. And then every other Australian male followed them out the door.
John Millman? Lost to Denis Shapovalov. Jordan Thompson? Lost to Casper Ruud. Alex De Minaur? Lost to Kyle Edmund. James Duckworth? Lost to Marin Cilic. Matt Ebden? Lost to Thomas Fabbiano. Tomic? Lost to Lucky Loser. The bludgers.
It was only the second time since WWII that no Australian male had made it out of the gates. But all three of the women survived.
Early-round superheroes.
‘Sad day for tennis’: Kyrgios takes aim after Sinner doping ban
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has accepted an immediate three-month doping ban, but outspoken Australian star Nick Kyrgios has slammed the outcome.
Australian Open’s call on shock US Open mixed doubles decision
The Australian Open has made a decisive call as to whether it will follow in the footsteps of the US Open and relegate mixed doubles to a pre-tournament sideshow.