After a first-round loss at the Brisbane International, Ashleigh Barty’s capacity to cope with the pressure of being Australia’s No1 women’s hope had been questioned – all the more given her recent break from the game, even if it was a break that saw her rocket up the rankings to a career-high of 17.
On Tuesday night in front of an expectant home crowd, the 21-year-old’s nerves were duly tested – and at times frayed – by a fierce rival in world No96 Aryna Sabalenka. This was only the Belarusian’s second grand slam, but her performance belied her inexperience, her power game at times by comparison making Barty’s seem meek, the Australian eventually rallying for a gruelling three-set win, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.
At the outset it was the Australian who took the initiative, breaking Sabalenka’s serve and holding easily either side. By the following game, however, Sabalenka had begun to ace and grunt her way back into the contest, drawing the ire of the pro-Barty crowd who – as the game progressed – lost their patience, mocking, imitating, and jeering her loud opponent. Credit where due, however; the rise in decibels matched an intensity that threatened to blow Barty off the court, Sabalenka breaking her way back in the following game.
The set progressed to tiebreak, both players daring to find the lines. Barty was forced to pull out an ace to save a break point at 4-3, before she scrambled and sliced her way back into the game by refusing to be overawed.
This was a game of fine margins, and in the tiebreak Barty was unlucky to lose the opening point, her forehand so close to being in it was first called that way. On the third point, the crowd gasped as her forehand looked long, only for some impressive topspin to pull it back in. But, as her opponent continued to thump the ball back from the baseline, Barty conceded multiple forced errors to drop the set. A distinctive hush fell over a fearful Rod Laver.
Barty calmed more than just her own nerves by breaking in the opening game of the second set, Sabalenka over-cooking her groundstrokes. At 2-1 up with the break, Australia’s No 1 appeared in control, only to double-fault on break point. To the crowd’s delight, she would break back again to lead 4-3, with a stirring forehand passing shot and fist pump to boot. It was in emphatic fashion that she forced a decider, with another crowd-stirring ace.
As the clock ticked past 11pm local time, both competitors remained locked in an intense battle, Barty forced to save three break points to level 2-2. Here, Barty seemed to wobble, spraying her ball toss before she produced an ace and a stunning forehand pass to fend off Sabalenka. Her grit paid off, the Belarusian dropping her serve the following game.
It was all the advantage Barty needed, eventually serving to close out the match to thunderous applause, despite a last-second hiccup; the Australian thought she had won the match on the second-last point, only for a replay to show Sabalenka’s ball clipped the line. Here was when she truly held nerve; acing for victory.
At her post-match conference, Barty admitted the match-up was “tricky”. I thought it was actually a pretty high quality match … It could have easily gone the other way. I felt like the experiences and the matches I went through last year really held me in good stead.” Asked if she was worried about Thursday’s forecast of 38 degrees, Barty indicated the weather would be to her advantage. “I love it. [I’m] from Brisbane, [it’s] nice and hot up there … 38 would be perfect.”
Earlier, Destanee Aiava failed to repeat the heroics of her fellow wildcard Matt Ebden a day earlier – going down in straight sets to No 1 Simona Halep, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena. The 17-year-old threatened to pull off the upset of the tournament, leading 5-2 in the first set before she had to call a medical timeout for breathing difficulties.
Aiava, who as recently as last week said she needed a break from tennis, looked anxious in the spotlight, and appeared to disintegrate after the timeout. She blew two set points to let an under-performing Halep off the mat.
Ajla Tomljanovic also went down in straight sets to her much higher-ranked opponent, world No30 Lucie Safarova. The 30-year-old Czech needed just under an hour and half to close out the match, winning 7-5, 6-3 on Court No3.
