Ashleigh Barty claimed her second WTA title by beating Johanna Konta 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the final of the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham.
“It’s the cherry on top at the end of great week,” said Barty in her on-court interview. “There wasn’t much in the match. It was a break here and there and I’m certainly pleased to come through with a win.
The Australian, 22, also paid tribute to Konta after the Brit practiced with her in the lead-up to the tournament.
She said, “Her team invited me to Wimbledon last week to practice with them and I think it did both of us wonders so I really have to say thank you to Jo.”
Barty has had superb results on grass throughout her career (her win-loss record is 36-12) and now she looks better than ever on the surface.
She beat Stefanie Voegele, Ying-Ying Duan, Katie Boulter and Naomi Osaka on her way to the final, and seemed determined to go on and clinch the trophy.
Barty makes strong start
The Australian controlled the opening set and, although Konta served well, it only looked to be a matter of time before Barty got a break.
Her chance came in the sixth game when she opened up a 0-40 lead on the Brit’s serve. Konta fought hard to save two of those break points but she could not prevent the Australian from taking the third.
Konta fights back
After Barty wrapped up a fairly routine first set, the second set was much more unpredictable.
First the Australian saved two break points in the second game with excellent groundstrokes. Then Konta saved two with good serving and gutsy rallying.
The Brit then looked certain to break in the fourth game when she earned a 0-40 advantage on Barty’s serve. However, the Australian played five flawless points in succesion to win the game.
The World No.17 then had another chance to break in game seven. But, once again, Konta dug in and held onto her serve.
And that hold proved crucial for the Brit. Barty served a double fault to make it 15-30, and then Konta played an aggressive point to earn two chances to break.
The British number one took the first when the Australian hit a forehand wide, and then held serve to make it one set all.
Barty wins dramatic decider
Barty was handed an early break in the decider. First she benefitted from a net cord which made it deuce, and then Konta missed an easy volley and hit a forehand wide to surrender her serve.
The World No.22 stayed in touch and broke back in game seven with some brilliant tennis. She passed the Australian with a superb forehand, and then pushed her back to win another point, before sealing the break when Barty hit a backhand volley long.
However, there was also a key moment in the game when the umpire failed to over-rule the call when Barty hit an ace that looked out. Konta expressed her dismay at the decision.
The situation then escalated in the ninth game when the Brit was fighting hard for a decisive break and Barty hit a forehand that looked to have gone long.
However, the ball had landed in an area of dust behind the baseline. Dust flew and the umpire and line judges clearly thought it was chalk. Konta lost the point and was clearly furious with the call.
“This is a joke,” Konta said to the umpire. “This is an absolute joke. Do you understand that you change courses of matches? You listen to me: we are out here literally busting our chops and you are making decisions that affect our lives. Do you fully understand that?”
The incident affected the Brit’s focus and she lost both her serve and the match in the next game. It was a disappointing end to a absorbing contest.
