MELBOURNE: The World number one Ashleigh Barty made light of breezy conditions to reach the Australian Open 3rd round in front of a doting home crowd on Wednesday.
Ashleigh Barty took just 66 minutes to dismantle Slovenia’s Polona Hercog, winning 6-1, 6-4 without falling any service games at Rod Laver Arena. She declared match clean adding that she is happier to get out of that one.
She said it was a very different end to finish, she believed the wind was a massive factor particularly with the new ball, she added.
“Polona’s got the ability to blow you off the court but once I got my opportunities I was able to take them.”Barty, 23, reached the quarter-finals last year — her best result at the Australian Open, which hasn’t seen a home women’s winner since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
It came at the start of a breakthrough season when she won Roland Garros and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the US Open, equalling or bettering her best performance at each tournament.
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