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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 14, 2019

 
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Ash Barty burst through 11 of the final 13 games crushing Maria Sharapova, 6-4, 6-1, to tear into the Cincinnati round of 16.

Photo credit: Rogers Cup Facebook

Carving out a backhand drop shot that fluttered like a butterfly, Ashleigh Barty dragged Maria Sharapova to net then played over the 6’2” Russian’s head with a loopy lob winner.

The top seed spent much of this blockbuster match giving the five-time Grand Slam champion the runaround.

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Barty dissected Sharapova with variety roaring through 11 of the final 13 games in a 6-4, 6-1 dismissal to charge into the Cincinnati round of 16.

“I feel like I have been striking the ball really well over the last seven or eight days," Barty said afterward. "I found my groove a little bit more.

"Had a great session yesterday and felt a lot more comfortable where I am at and how I was striking the ball. Then it was just going out there trying to execute playing against one of the best competitors of the world and making sure I had to be there present and ready for every single point." 



It was Barty’s first win since her third round defeat of Harriet Dart at Wimbledon last month.

Facing a 1-3 deficit, Barty broke in four of Sharapova’s last seven service games.

"That's what makes this game so tough is one day you're playing someone that's extremely aggressive, another day you're playing someone that has a great backhand slice," Sharapova said. "She's using her forehand quite well, as well. I think that's what's really gotten her to the top.

"She's a little bit more consistent on that side. And serve, as you saw in those bigger points, really found the lines. Yeah, didn't let up."

The 23-year-old Aussie improved to 40-7 on the season—only three of her seven losses have come to opponents ranked outside the Top 10. Barty is second to 2018 champion Kiki Bertens (41-16) and Karolina Pliskova (41-11) for most wins on the WTA this season.

Barty will play Anett Kontaveit for a quarterfinal spot. The Estonian baseliner beat Iga Swiatek, 6-4, 7-6(2), one round after she conquered 13th-seeded Angelique Kerber, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

“I think I didn't serve as well as I would have liked to today, but I think I did a really good job behind my second serve,” Barty said. “It’s Important for me to trust myself and trust my second serve.”

Wild card Sharapova shoveled a backhand wide to face set point. Barty snatched the 44-minute opener and rode the winning wave into the second set.

As the match progressed, Barty's forehand grew more ferocious, while the 2011 champion’s errors escalated. Barty banged a diagonal forehand breaking for the second time in a row for 2-0.

In the near 11-minute game that followed, Sharapova stepped into the court repeatedly earning four break points. Barty withstood every test using her slice backhand to defend and drilling her forehand to attack.

The top-seeded Aussie held firm reeling off her fifth straight game for a 3-0 second-set lead.

Chasing a stray toss, Sharapova spit up her sixth double fault. Barty unleashed the slick backhand drop shot and lob combination bamboozling Sharapova with shot selection to break for 5-1.

A wild backhand return ended a one hour, 27-minute triumph.

Earlier, fourth-ranked Simona Halep fought off Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. 

"I felt slowly that I'm feeling good and I have no pain," Halep said. "I got the confidence game by game, even if she was leading me. I still thought that there is a chance to win, and I have just to fight."



The Wimbledon champion will play either explosive American Madison Keys or Russian ball-control artist Daria Kasatkina for a place in the quarterfinals.

"Two very different styles," Halep said. "Keys is hitting really strong, the ball, and is playing flatter. A lot of power. Kasatkina is the other way. She has a lot of topspin. She moves the ball a little bit more on the court. So it's difficult and different plans for them. I will think about it a little bit later today after I will see against who I play."

Donna Vekic took down former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 7-5, setting up a round of 16 clash vs. Venus Williams, who edged defending-champion Bertens in a third-set tie break yesterday.

World No. 3 Karolina Pliskova pounded lucky loser Yafan Wang, 6-1, 6-3.


 

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