Ash Barty’s hopes in ashes as hoodoo strikes at Wimbledon

Ash Barty’s dream run of victories has ended, with a shock fourth-round defeat by Alison Riske.

Australia's Ashleigh Barty adjusts her cap during a break in a women's singles match against United States' Alison Riske. Picture: AP

Ash Barty’s dream run of victories has ended, with a shock fourth-round defeat by American Alison Riske, 3-6 6-2 6-3 last night.

Barty showed glimpses of the recent form that delivered a French Open title, victory on grass in Birmingham and the world No 1 ranking, firing down four consecutive aces to begin the match.

But she soon struggled with her ball toss and the speed of her first serve dropped. Against Riske, an in-form grass court specialist ranked 55 in the world, Barty ­repeatedly failed to get her first serve in, allowing the American to control the match.

Alison Riske celebrates victory. Picture: Getty

Riske stretched Barty around the court and, unusually, Barty’s aggressive instincts deserted her. The longer the point went, the more Barty found herself out of position.

Riske won a crucial rally in the eighth game of the third set to break Barty and then it appeared just a matter of time before she wrapped up the set, and the match.

Barty said she lost to a better player on the day. “She is very comfortable on the grass court. It complements her game well,” Barty said, adding that the loss won’t make her change how she plays after a fantastic run of form

“I am so proud of myself and my team over the last six to eight weeks,” she said. “We’ve had an ­incredible month, and incredible run … it won’t change what we do.

“I am disappointed right now and it’s a tough pill to swallow … but this is new ground for me at Wimbledon.”

This was the first Wimbledon match where Barty found herself under heavy pressure and the hoodoo of court two struck. The court is called the Graveyard because of the shock upsets it has hosted.

Earlier in the tournament, the hoodoo claimed defending champion Angelique Kerber, and in its time has been the site of defeats for champions such as Serena Williams, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi.

Riske burst into tears after the match saying: “I’m so excited. I had to play aggressive. I had to take it to Ash. I’m just so proud of myself.’’

After the loss against Riske, Barty withdrew from the women’s doubles tournament, where she had partnered Victoria Azarenka to a third round.

Australia’s Ash Barty (left) and her Wimbledon conqueror Alison Riske shake hands after their fourth round women’s singles match. Picture: AFP

The Queenslander cited an arm injury for the withdrawal, a problem she has been managing for several weeks. But she did not offer it as an excuse for her loss against the American.

She again reiterated her desire to continue playing doubles despite the potential workload issues it can cause during grand slams.

“I think it’s finding the balance,” she said.

“A lot of the time, not just in Grand Slams, but on weeks during the tour as well, it’s all about making sure my body is healthy, my body is right.

“I think when my body is healthy, when I’m feeling good, I would love to play doubles and I’d love to continue to play as much doubles as I can. Sometimes you really have to listen to your body and peg it back a little bit to try to give yourself the best chance in singles.

“For me, I love to try to integrate them both. I learn a lot from doubles and I learn a lot from singles as well. They go hand-in-hand. They help each other out. I certainly loved playing with Vika this year.”