Face of Nation : Fresh off her French Open win, Ashleigh Barty is now just two sets from being crowned women’s World No. 1, and Australia’s first woman to do so since Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 43 years ago.
The Australian star beat Czech veteran Barbora Strycova 6-4 6-4 in their semi-final after a tense opening to their match.
Barty was typically humble and casual in her post-match interview, despite the fact she could sit on WTA Tour throne in the next 24 hours.
She is hoping to emulate the feats of Goolagong Cawley, John Newcombe, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt, who are the only four Australians to have topped the tennis world since rankings were introduced in 1973.
The win was Barty’s 11th in succession and takes her record for the year to 35 wins and five losses — by far the best on the WTA Tour.
Earlier, both Barty and Strycova had chances to break in the opening set, but both fought them off to be on serve at 2-2 before Barty broke Strycova to take a 3-2 lead when the Czech double-faulted to give her the game.
The Australian then saved a pair of break points in her next service game, before holding to press home her advantage at 4-2, as Strycova let out a scream of frustration.
Barty would then go on to serve out the set by holding to love, to take it 6-4.
Strycova upped her level again early in the second set and had Barty again down two break points in the Australian’s opening service game, but Barty belted down three consecutive aces to save them, then hold serve and level the set at 1-1The pair then traded service holds, until the match reached 6-4 4-4 and Barty broke the world No. 51 Czech for a 5-4 lead. Barty then served out the match with little trouble as she marched into a final where she will play either Germany’s Julia Goerges or Croatia’s Petra Martic.
Barty, made aware she was just one win away from a slice of history in her post match interview seemed unfazed by what might be coming her way.
“You have to enjoy it, come out and grab it with both hands and we’re having a really good time at the moment and hopefully we get one more win tomorrow,” Barty said.
Barty also praised her opponent and suggested the win did not come easy against the Czech, whose game is well-suited to grass.
“Barbora was serving well on big points, but I served really well in that second set to keep in touch as well,” she said.
“It was important for me to try and get on top early in the rallies and use my forehand as much as I could.”
Barty will play doubles with Goerges later on Sunday morning (AEST) and has the chance to replicate Maria Sharapova’s 2004 achievement of winning the singles and doubles titles at Birmingham.
“We got close here in the 2017 final but it’s nice to be in another final and, whatever happens, happens,” she said.
Barty’s last defeat came on May 16 against Kristina Mladenovic at the Italian Open in Rome.
Success in Birmingham would be her third tournament win in a magnificent three months after victory at Roland Garros and at Miami in March.
It continues her phenomenal turnaround since returning to tennis in 2016, with a ranking of 623, after an 18-month sabbatical and playing cricket in the WBBL with Brisbane Heat.
Should Barty lift the title, she will usurp Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka and become only the 27th woman in 49 years to hold the No. 1 ranking and head to Wimbledon as the top-seeded player.
Barty earlier opened up on why she walked away from tennis in the first place a few years ago.
And it’s something that will come with the territory, if she wins the title in Birmingham and takes over the mantle of the best in women’s tennis from Naomi Osaka — pressure and the grind of life away from home.
“This part of the year is 2½ months away from home,” Barty told London’s Telegraph.
“Every time I go, it’s getting harder and harder to leave. If I’m not on the tennis court, then the place I would choose to be is home with my family. I always know they are watching. I chat to them every single day. But it’s the hardest part of my job. I’ve got people around me to help me to deal with it, but it’s certainly not any easier than it was when I started.”
For the next three weeks, Barty’s homesickness should go away a little as she sets up a house with boyfriend Garry Kissick.
But whenever Barty comes to Wimbledon, she experiences a flashback of her own: to the juniors event in 2011, when she lifted the title at the age of 15.
Success at such an early age can be a curse, as the case of Laura Robson — the 2008 junior champion, who is now mainly spotted in her party gear on Instagram — can attest.
Barty might not have had to deal with the same physical setbacks as Robson, whose career was derailed by multiple wrist surgeries, but the expectation created by her moment of glory weighed heavily on her.
“It was the best and the worst thing that ever happened to me,” Barty said.
“I would never trade it back ever, because I have some of my most amazing memories from that week. But I think in the same breath it happened all too soon.
“I remember playing against a British wildcard on Court No. 4 in my first match, and I had legs like lead. I had never been so nervous, and I remember gradually becoming more comfortable.
“Even though I never had much exposure to grass, it just felt natural for me. Even now, it’s nice going over to Aorangi Park (the practice area at the top of the grounds) and seeing my name on the board.”
Her semi-final should be winnable against experienced Czech and fellow doubles gun Barbora Strycova and should she win that a final would loom against either Julia Goerges or Petra Martic — Goerges made the semis at Wimbledon last year and would be chance of upsetting Barty.
One gets the feeling though that, a loss there won’t matter too much Barty has already achieved so much since she has returned to the WTA Tour, the rest might just be a matter of time.
