MELBOURNE, Australia —
Ashleigh Barty warned she will “make life difficult” as she closed on a
first
Australian Open title by dismantling giant-killer
Amanda Anisimova on
Sunday.
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The steely
Australian world number one won 6-4, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena to halt the charge
of the unseeded American, who stunned defending champion
Naomi Osaka in round
three.
Top-seed Barty, who
is aiming to become Australia’s first women’s champion on home soil in 44
years, will now face 21st-seeded American Jessica Pegula in Tuesday’s
quarter-finals.
“Each and every
player, there are some similarities, but certain tactics and the way that I
want to play is unique to each and every player,” said the 25-year-old, an
insight into the mindset of one of the best tacticians in tennis.
“I try and adapt my
game as best as I can to try and make my opponent uncomfortable and that will
be no different when Jess and I play in a couple days’ time.”
“My job is to try
and make her uncomfortable and hopefully I can execute that, have some fun with
it, and make life difficult for her.”
Her clash with
Anisimova was a rematch of the pair’s memorable 2019 French Open semi-final.
Barty was staring
down the barrel of defeat then after a first-set collapse, but fought back to
win the match and eventually the Roland Garros title.
It proved to be a
turning point in her career and she has now been world number one for 112
consecutive weeks.
Anisimova was only
17 at the time and fell down the rankings following the death of her father
soon afterwards, but she has been rejuvenated this year.
Barty missed a
break-point opportunity on Anisimova’s opening serve then was forced to save
one on her own to keep the scores level at 2-2 after a rare double-fault.
A net volley set up
two more break points on the next Anisimova serve as Barty again probed for an
opening.
The relentless
pressure paid off with some powerful ball-striking working a triple break point
and this time she capitalized to move 4-3 ahead.
She wrapped up the
set in 37 minutes, winning 84 percent of her first-serve points to Anisimova’s
67 percent.
But 60th-ranked
Anisimova then did what no one else had managed this tournament — she broke
Barty to end an incredible run of 63 consecutive service holds this year.
It was in vain as
the Australian immediately broke back, utilizing her slice and loopy forehands,
then broke again for 4-3 and with Anisimova wavering, Barty powered home.
Barty said losing
the win streak on her serve didn’t bother her.
“I’m not counting
how many games I hold in a row or not,” she said.
“The fact I was
able to reset, break straight back, was really important, just to be able to
reset myself, go again and continue to do the right things.”
After shutting down her 2021 season after the US Open in
September, Barty has been dominant this year. She returned at the Adelaide
International to win the title and has only improved in Melbourne.
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