World No 1 Ash Barty adds Aussie flavour to star-studded Adelaide exhibition

Ash Barty will head back to the scene of her first title on Australian soil for star-studded exhibition.

Australia’s world No 1 Ash Barty after a training session in Melbourne this week Picture: Alex Coppel.

Ash Barty’s return to the court in a star-studded exhibition in Adelaide next week is expected to be against fellow French Open champion and former world No 1 Simona Halep.

The top-ranked incumbent, who has been training in Melbourne over the past fortnight, has been confirmed as a starter in the event at Memorial Drive on Friday week to launch the Australian summer.

As revealed by The Australian earlier this month, Team Barty views the exhibition — to be knows as A Day at the Drive — as an opportunity to secure valuable match play against a rival of the highest calibre.

“I am looking forward to playing my first match for the 2021 season in Adelaide,” Barty said.

“I have fond memories from the Adelaide International last year and it will be great to get back on court here for A Day at the Drive.”

Halep, who is coached by Australian Darren Cahill, is also a Wimbledon champion and has been ranked among the world’s best players for several years.

There has been some disquiet from fellow tour participants about perceived advantages those quarantining in Adelaide have received.

They include an allowance for bigger entourages and also greater access to fresh air given their accommodation comes with a balcony.

But the end result for fans will be an exhibition of exceptional quality.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley praised the South Australian Government for backing a concept that also enabled the organisation to bring additional personnel into the country for the three weeks of tournaments in Melbourne.

South Australia will also host a WTA Tour 500-tier event in the week following the Australian Open at Memorial Drive as a result of the support the state has offered in trying times.

“For us, normally this would be a multi-million-dollar exercise in cost, and South Australia are underwriting the costs of having the players,” Tiley said.

“They are going to get global exposure, which is similar to what Melbourne is going to get. And South Australia are going to get it for two weeks and they are going to get this launch of the season, which they will be able to expose globally, with the best players in the world.”

The clash between Barty and Halep is only one of the highlights in A Day At The Drive.

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka played a controversial US Open final three years ago, claimed by the Japanese star after a meltdown from the American.

Novak Djokovic, who penned a lengthy letter defending himself after a backlash to his requests for better treatment of his fellow players during lockdown, and Rafael Nadal headline the men’s ranks.

Dominic Thiem was a finalist in Melbourne last year and is now a grand slam winner after his triumph in New York in September. Those seven are the winners of 67 grand slam titles.

It will be an important step for Barty towards finding her best form after a prolonged stint out of the game caused by the pandemic.

The 24-year-old, who claimed the Adelaide International last year prior to making the semi-finals of the Australian Open, has not played since February.

Mindful of the threat COVID-19 posed to members of her team and family, Barty opted against returning to the circuit when it resumed in August and missed both the US Open and her Roland Garros defence.

But she has been training in earnest since October in Brisbane with coach Craig Tyzzer, who was allowed into Queensland after serving a fortnight of quarantine in the Northern Territory.

The pair were among tennis personnel based in Brisbane who headed to Melbourne prior to the closure of the interstate border earlier in January, though the restrictions have now eased.

Barty was able to train at Melbourne Park, including hitting sessions on Rod Laver Arena, prior to the site being closed to all bar those players serving quarantine.

The 2019 WTA Finals champion has since been among the Australians training at Kooyong and Xavier College in the lead-in to events beginning in Melbourne on February 1.

The beauty of a clash against Halep is that she will have an opportunity to find her range against a rival who she has shared highly competitive matches with.

The Romanian leads their head-to-head 3-1, with her wins coming at Masters level in Canada, Cincinnati and Madrid. The Australian was successful in Sydney in 2019.