Last year’s Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty claimed her third WTA title on Australian soil with a 6-3 6-2 win over Elena Rybakina in the final of the Adelaide International 1. Barty won this tournament for the second time in the past three years.
Both players went on serve with no break points in the the first six games. Rybakina won the point of the match at 15-15 and earned two break points after a double fault from Barty in the seventh game. Barty clawed her way back to deuce after a missed forehand from Rybakina and an ace and saved both break points to hold serve for 4-3.
The 2021 Wimbledon champion broke serve in the eighth game to close out the first set 6-3.
Barty reeled off seven consecutive games including two breaks of serve to claim her 14th WTA singles title in 64 minutes.
The world number 1 player won 17 of her past 18 matches against world number 20 players and 21 of her past 24 matches on Australian soil.
Barty dropped just 13 points in nine service games and hit 17 winners to 13 unforced errors.
“We have obviously had a brilliant week, been able to work progressively through each match. I got better and better. I felt like today there were really a few key moments early in the first set to gain momentum. I was really happy to be able to get a couple of early breaks and run away with it. I probably felt like overall this week has been a real weapon. I felt like I struggled with rhythm early on in the week and I have been able to progressively get better and better. To go a few matches unbroken is really good. I feel good leading up to an Australian Open like I have every year. Each preparation is different. We take it for what comes and what it is, move on try and do the best that we can in every opportunity, whether that’s here in Adelaide or it’s in Melbourne. It has absolutely no effect on the way that I prepare or the way I am thinking leading forward just because it’s a Grand Slam. It does not change for us. We look forward, we do what we can, then we see how we go”, said Ashleigh Barty.
Barty never lost serve again in the tournament after a second round win over Coco Gauff, where she rallied from a set and a break down. She hit a total of 28 aces and fended off all four break points in the three matches against Sofia Kenin, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.
