Ash smokes Rybakina in Adelaide
Australia’s world no. 1 Ash Barty has comprehensively defeated Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina the no. 7 seed to claim her second Adelaide title in three years and her 14th career title.
The match was looking in the balance at 3-3 and Rybakina held several breakpoints. She failed to convert before Barty went on a run of seven straight games.
“We’ve obviously had a brilliant week, been able to work progressively through each match,” Barty said after the 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 in the second and run away with it.”
Barty is almost invincible when she takes on top-20 ranked players. She has won 17 of her last 18 matches against the top 20. The only loss came in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open where Aryna Sabalenka took the title.
In Adelaide there were no easy matches for Barty. Her first match saw her come back from a set and a break down to defeat Coco Gauff. After that, she didn’t drop a set.
Most tennis fans in Australia will be hoping Barty to go all the way at the Australian Open. She spoke about that after claiming the Adelaide title.
“I feel good leading up to an Australian Open like I have every year,” Barty said. “Each and every preparation is unique, each and every preparation is different. So 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’m thinking leading forward just because it’s a Grand Slam. Doesn’t change for us. We look forward, we do what we can, then we see how we go.”