Barty’s draw opens up after she makes grand entrance

Ash Barty made a stylish debut at Wimbledon as the world’s No 1 woman but a litany of high-profile champions fell around her.

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty serves to China's Saisai Zheng at Wimbledon

As Ash Barty made a stylish debut at Wimbledon as the world’s No 1 woman, a litany of high-profile champions faltered at the first hurdle.

The Australian’s section of the draw had been dubbed the “quarter of death” given the number of former major winners lurking within. But by the end of the opening round, those immediately in her path — Svetlana Kuznetsova and Garbine Muguruza — joined former champion Maria Sharapova and US Open winner Sam Stosur on the sidelines. Whether this actually makes the draw more open for Barty, who will play world No 58 Belgian Alison van Uytvanck tonight, is arguable.

Kuznetsova’s conqueror van Uytvanck is a talented player with weapons the former US and French Open champion in the twilight of her career struggled to combat. Muguruza should be in the prime of her career but is plagued by inconsistency, while it appears the best tennis of Sharapova and Stosur is behind them.

Should Barty continue to progress, she will not play a seed until the second week.

But she is mindful of the threat posed by van Uytvanck having endured a tough tussle against her in their only meeting to date in Toronto last year. “She has the ability to take the game away from you pretty early in rallies,” she said.

“A big serve, a big first shot after her serve. It will be important for me to neutralise the best that I can and bring variety into the match, as well.”

As Barty walked off the All England Club’s Court One on Tuesday, the crowd rose in unison to applaud the Aussie now owning that billing in tennis. The world No 1. The applause was generous and it was graciously received by the Queenslander as she began her reign as the new queen of tennis with a straight sets win over Saisai Zheng.

“(It was) an incredible reception,” she said. “I think when we walked out as well, it was really special for both Saisai and myself. It wasn’t only one of us on the tennis court. It was really nice to be able to share that with Saisai.

“It’s an incredible court, court one. The crowd was awesome. It was really nice to play in front of a pretty full crowd, on a court that I have so many good memories.”

Some players shy away from the focus that comes with being the world’s top ranked player, with the most recent incumbent Naomi Osaka among those who did not enjoy the pressure.

To date, Barty has found it no different, saying her team has tried to remain consistent with the procedures leading into tournaments and matches.

“I think, for me, it’s a little bit irrelevant,” she said. “The only pressure I have is what I put on myself, making sure I’m doing all the right things, preparing in the right way.

“Ultimately when we play our matches, we go out there and enjoy it. That’s why we do all the work, all the practices, to go out there and enjoy competing.

“(I) just play each match as it comes. There’s certainly no extra stresses on any match.”

As welcome as it was for Barty to realise the respect afforded to her by a capacity crowd that included Davis Cup legend Neale Fraser, the world No 1’s focus turned to if she can continue a winning streak now at 13.

There are several goals Barty is pursuing at the All England Club.

The first is to better her best performance here, which was making the third round last year.

She entered the tournament as favourite and is also seeking to become the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980.

In the past three decades, only legends Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, who remains in her draw, have managed to follow a Roland Garros triumph with the Wimbledon crown. But Barty is a natural grass courter and it is a case of so far, so good.

“For only one person to have done it in 20 or so years, as you said, for it to be Serena, shows just how exceptionally hard it is,” she said. “For me, it’s a possibility, but it’s certainly not something we’re thinking about. It’s about going match by match, trying to do the best that I can in every single tennis match that we play here. If we can give ourselves the opportunity, that would be great.”

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