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World No.1 Ash Barty Could Headline New Domestic Tennis Event

The reigning French Open is considering participating in a new initiative currently being drawn up by Tennis Australia.

Published

12 months ago

11/05/2020

After being sidelined from the Tour for almost two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ash Barty might be returning back to action sooner than expected.

The grand slam champion has indicated that she might play in a series of domestic events in her country that are currently being planned by Tennis Australia (TA). All WTA tournaments have been suspended since March and it is likely that the resumption date of July 13th will be delayed further. Due to the suspension, countries around the world are in the process of setting up their own events to give player’s some match practice.

“We’re right in the thick of that and we’ll soon be rolling it out,” TA chief Craig Tiley told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald on April 24th.
“We’ve got one competition which we’re going to be announcing and rolling out and, who knows, it may become a new normal for us at that time of the year, which could be pretty cool.”

The full details about the events are yet to be disclosed to the public. Barty has told the Australian Associated Press that she will not make a final decision about whether or not to participate until more information is provided. Australia recently announced a three-stage plan to lift their lockdown and restart the economy by July.

“There are a lot of details that need to be worked through,” Barty told The AAP.
“I’m interested to see what TA’s plans are but I’d have to understand all the details before I make a decision.
“We are lucky to be at that point in Australia that we can think about tennis coming back in some form.”

During the lockdown, 24-year-old Barty has said she has been able reflect on what was a breakthrough 2019 season for her. Last year she won four WTA titles, including her maiden grand slam trophy at the French Open, as well as the Tour Finals. In June she became the first Australian woman to reach No.1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley back in 1976.

“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the last year in particular and how special it was – 2019 was just incredible for my team and I,” she said.
“Remembering all of those special moments has made me hungry to get back out there and compete again.”

Barty currently heads the WTA rankings with a 2641-point lead over second place Simona Halep. She started 2020 by winning 11 out of 14 matches played. Winning her 13th WTA title in Adelaide before reaching the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and Doha Open.

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Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini reach the quarter finals in Madrid

Published

10 mins ago

06/05/2021

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Alexander Zverev beats Dan Evans 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach the quarter final at the Madrid Mutua Open. Matteo Berrettini moved into the quarter final with straight-set win over Federico Delbonis

Evans earned an early break to take a 1-0 lead. Zverev broke twice in the second and fourth games to open up a 4-1 lead and closed out the first set 6-3 with an ace.

Evans saved the only break point of the second set at 4-4. Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Zverev got three mini-breaks to win the breaker 7-3.

Matteo Berrettini has reached the third Masters 1000 quarter final of his career with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.

The first set went on serve until the eighth game, when Delbonis saved the only break point. Delbonis went up a 4-1 lead, but Berrettini fought back by winning six consecutive games to take the first set 7-4.

Berrettini went up an early break to take a 2-0 lead, but Delbonis broke straight back to draw level to 2-2, when Berrettini made two forehand unforced errors. The next games went on serve until the 10th game, when Berrettini earned the break to win the second set 6-4.

Berrettini will face a quarter final against Christian Garin, who upset Danil Medvedev. Berrettini ties 1-1 in his two head-to-head matches against Garin. Garin beat Berrettini in the 2019 BMW Open final in Munich. Berrettini avenged this defeat against his South American player in Shanghai later that year.

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Casper Ruud stuns Stefanos Tsitsipas to take the biggest win of his career

Published

1 hour ago

06/05/2021

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Casper Ruud scored his first win over a top five player, beating this year’s Monte-Carlo champion and Barcelona finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 after 1 hour and 34 minutes without facing a break point.

The Norwegian player has reached his third consecutive clay-court Masters 1000 quarter final following the semifinals in Rome in 2020 and in Monte-Carlo last month.

The first set went on serve with no break points. Ruud won the tie-break 7-4 with two mini-breaks before earning the only break in the seventh game to close out the second set 6-4.

Tsitsipas won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and lost the Barcelona final after holding a championship point against Rafael Nadal.

“Stefanos is one of the best players this year on the Tour, one of the ones who has the most matches. He has won his first Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo. He was very close to getting the title there, as well, but the conditiions are a bit different here than other clay courts with there, as well, but the conditions are a bit different here than other clay courts with the fast shots, the ball travelling faster through the air because of the altitude. You get a lot of free points with the serve that you don’t usually get on the clay courts. I think that also today went a bit in my advantage. I felt like he was doing some mistakes that he doesn’t always do. I was just trying t take care of the chance that I got”, said Ruud.Ruud set up a quarter final against Alexander Bublik, who beat Aslan Karatsev 6-4 6-3. Ruud beat Bublik in their only previous head-to-head match against Bublik in three sets in St. Petersburg.

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Ash Barty Eases Into Madrid Final

Published

3 hours ago

06/05/2021

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Number 1 seed Ashleigh Barty beat Paula Badosa 6-4 6-3 to reach her fourth final of the 2021 season at the Madrid Mutua Open after winning three titles at the Yarra Valley Classic, Miami and Stuttgart.

The first set went on serve in the first nine games. Barty earned two break points in the 10th game with a lob and loose forehands from Badosa. Badosa saved two set points with winners, but Barty converted her third chance after a double fault from Badosa to close out the first set 6-4.

After an early trade of breaks, Barty earned her second break after a double fault from Badosa in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead. The Aussie star saved three break points in the fifth game and held serve for 4-1 with a dropshot. Barty dropped just two more points on serve to close out the second set 6-3.

Barty has extended her red clay winning streak to 16 consecutive matches and her win-loss record to 25-3 this season.

Barty has clinched her 16th consecutive win on red clay. The Australian player avenged her recent defeat against Badosa in the quarter finals in Charleston.

“It was important for me to get that early break back in the second set and keep my nose in front, almost force her to come up with something that was going to be a really high level to be at a high level to be able to get back into the match. I have learnt a lot about clay, without a doubt. I promise you, I am still counting down to the grass court season. It’s one of the my favourite times of the year. I think the memories and the learnings now that we are getting from the red clay has been really cool, to be able to challenge myself in different ways”, said Barty.