MIAMI—Ash Barty once walked away from tennis.
Now, the 22-year-old Aussie is embracing life on the pro circuit.
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The 11th-ranked Barty clinched a spot in the Miami Open semifinals—and the Top 10 with her 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-2 victory over Petra Kvitova on Tuesday night.
The victory vaults Barty into the Top 10 for the first time—a feeling she called "bloody good."
"I think it's been a goal of mine. That's no secret," Barty said. "It's amazing what happens when you put your hopes and dreams out into the universe and do the work.
"You know, it's amazing. I had an opportunity last week that I wasn't able to grab, and this week was about coming here and continuing to try and trust the process and enjoy the journey that I'm on. It's a pretty beautiful thing being able to play tennis for a living."
Barty took a two-year sabbatical from the sport to play cricket for the Brisbane Heat before returning to tennis in 2016. Now, she'll face 21st-seeded Anett Kontaveit for a spot in the final.
The Aussie is aiming to push her ranking even higher.
"It's a goal that we set at the start of the year and it's been a goal of mine for a long time now," Barty said. "It's amazing that I have been able to achieve it. But there is still a long way to go, and I'm not satisfied. I'm still hungry to get better as a person and as a player. If that means that the ranking gets higher and higher, that's pretty cool, as well."
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve