Ash Barty.

[Donny]

"Top-ranked Ashleigh Barty defeated fellow French Open champion Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-4 in their round-of-16 Madrid Open match, a significant statement ahead of Roland Garros.

Barty has been in brilliant form and Swiatek was no match for the Australian world No.1 in their first meeting."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/more-sp ... d=msedgntp

[Donny]

She's leading Petra Kvitova, 6/1, 3/6, 5/2 in the quarter final.

[Donny]

... and duly won. 6/3 in the third.

[Donny]

"Ash Barty beat three-time champion Petra Kvitova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 scoring her 15th straight red clay victory to set up a Madrid semifinal v. wild card Paula Badosa. Facing three-time champion Petra Kvitova amid Madrid's altitude represented a stress test even for the elite."

https://www.google.com/search?q=barty+b ... CA4&uact=5

[Donny]

And again.

"Ash Barty's remarkable run of success has continued at the Madrid Open as the world No.1 powered into the final with a straightforward triumph over home Spanish hope Paula Badosa.Barty now stands on the verge of back-to-back European clay court titles, having beaten Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final a fortnight ago.

The win was Barty's 16th in a row on the red clay, and she's now just one match away from a fourth title of the year."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/tennis/ ... d=msedgntp

[Donny]

Starts at 2.30 am., our time.

[Donny]

"World number one Ash Barty's unbeaten run on red clay courts has come to an end, losing the final of the Madrid Open to world number seven Aryna Sabalenka.
Key points:

Ash Barty had reached three finals this year and won them all leading into the Madrid Open
She beat Sabalenka for the title in Stuttgart at the end of April
The Madrid Open is one of the main lead-in tournaments ahead of this month's French Open

The Queenslander was trying to secure her fourth singles title of the year, but fell short to Belarusian Sabalenka, going down 6-0, 3-6, 6-4."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-09/ ... /100126636

[Donny]

Barty wins in Italy.

"Ash Barty has matched her career-best result at the Italian Open by advancing to the third round.

The world No.1 scored a straight-sets win against Kazahkstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, recovering from a slow start to record victory in 78 minutes.

In-form Russian Veronika Kudermetova is Barty’s next opponent. The 24-year-old has been quickly climbing the rankings this season, rising to a career-high No.28 this week. This will be their first career meeting."

https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2021/05/ ... n-open-win

[Donny]

Early casuaities.

"Ash Barty has taken a little time to find her feet on the Roman clay before easing into the last 16 of the Italian Open - but Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep all became high profile casualties at the Foro Italico."


https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2021/05/ ... n-open-win

[Donny]

"Australia's world No.1 dispatched Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-3 6-3 on Thursday to improve her tour-best win-loss record in 2021 to 27-4 and edge ever closer to a fourth title of the year.

Kudermetova has enjoyed a fine season herself, securing a maiden WTA title on green clay in Charleston in April.

But the world No.26 was unable to stop the Queensland juggernaut on Europe's red dirt as Barty once again emphatically underlined her favouritism for a second French Open crown next month in three years."

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/tennis/ ... d=msedgntp

[Donny]

"Ash Barty retired during her Italian Open quarter-final clash in Rome with Coco Gauff due to an arm injury that has cast a cloud over her bid to regain her French Open crown. The Australian world No 1 withdrew on Friday while leading the US teenage star 6-4, 2-1."


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... arm-injury