German double a bonanza for Barty as Aussie tightens grip on top ranking

Stuttgart Grand Prix champion Ash Barty is far from tall by tour standards but the precision of her serve is proving critical in matches against the best.

Ash Barty has claimed a third title for 2021 with a success in the Stuttgart Grand Prix over world No 7 Aryna Sabalenka. (Photo by Marijan Murat / POOL / AFP)

The precision of Ash Barty’s serve has proven a critical weapon as the Australian continued her remarkably successful return to the tour in 2021 by clinching a third title for the year.

The Australian became the first woman this year to win both the singles and doubles in the same event in an outstanding week at the Stuttgart Grand Prix.

The Queenslander posted her third straight win over a top 10 ranked rival in the tournament when too strong for world No 7 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-0 6-3 in 1hr 48 in Germany on Sunday.

She then partnered Australian Open semi-finalist Jennifer Brady to a triumph over the top-seeded combination Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Desirae Krawczyk 6-4 5-7 (10-5).

“This week’s been phenomenal for me,” she said.

“We’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches and I’ve certainly felt like I’m taking my tennis to a … new level in a sense of being able to be calm and play with freedom and play without consequences in a way.”

Her first visit to Germany in a decade proved lucrative. Not only did she earn more than $100,000 in prize money, she also won two Porsches for her success in the luxury car sponsored tournament.
That presents a conundrum of sorts — though clearly not a bad one. Barty is sponsored by rival car manufacturer Jaguar. Hands up if you want a Porsche?

The double prompted Mattek-Sands to quip; “Ash. Damn. You gotta get the car and all the prize money? I guess we all just got to go and work harder.”

There is truth to that assessment for a woman who has served more aces (146) than any of her peers in 2021.

Her coach Craig Tyzzer noted in an interview with The Australian that for all her talent, a key to Barty’s ascension to the top was her dedication and discipline in training.

Barty’s success came in her first tournament in Europe since her triumph at Roland Garros in 2019 and positions her as a leading contender for this year’s French Open.

Rafael Nadal, who won a 12th Barcelona Open on Sunday, is another person who trains as though his life depends on it.

The Spanish legend confirmed he was again the man to beat in Paris, edging Stefanos Tsitsipas, a recent winner in Monte Carlo, 6-4 6-7 (8) 7-5.

The final lasted 3hr 38m set a new record for an ATP Tour final ever over the best-of-three format dating back to when the statistic was measured in 1991.

Barty’s third title this year follows successes in the Yarra Valley Classic and Miami Open.

It propelled her to the lead in the end-of-year points race from Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka.

Ashleigh Barty returns a shot during the final against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus

The Brisbane resident has now won three of the six tournaments she has played since her return from a sabbatical last year due to COVID-19.

From the quarter-finals onwards, Barty came from behind to win against former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova, the fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina and Sabalenka.

It extended to 10 her streak of wins over top 10 ranked rivals. Barty has won 17 of the 20 matches she has played against top 10 ranked rivals dating back to the 2019 Miami Open.

Her resilience and ability to solve the problems posed by elite rivals earned plaudits, so too the variety in her came from the thunderous forehands to wickedly sliced backhands.

But critical to her ability to progress in tough situations was the quality of her serve. It is outstanding for a woman who stands 166cm, which is far from tall by tour standards.

She seems able to drop the serve on a 10 cent piece at will, with her pace and placement a feature against Sabalenka, as it was against Svitolina and Pliskova.

Sabalenka has played one more match than the Australian this year but served 34 fewer aces, which is telling given the power of her serve.

But aces tell only part of the story. The world No 1 also leads the top 100 in terms of service games won at 80 per cent.

She is in similar company to Serena Williams and Osaka in terms of the percentage of first serve points she wins (74.5 per cent) and overall points won on the delivery (63.8 per cent).

Because Barty’s technique is sound, it stands up under pressure, with doubles legend Paul McNamee among those to lavish praise on her ability to win free points when needed.

“Much is made about Barty’s ability to problem solve. Fair play,” he noted on social media.

“But my take is it is more about the percentage of her first serve, she has laser accuracy and (that) allows her to dictate, and her error count on her slice backhand.

“When they are on song, it is game, set and match for the number one.”