By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Kiki Bertens replaced an injured Naomi Osaka in the draw and toppled world No. 1 Ash Barty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 for her first win over the Aussie at the WTA Finals Shenzhen.
Photo credit: WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai
Arriving in Shenzhen as an understudy, Kiki Bertens stepped into the spotlight and stole the show.
Bertens turned her second chance into a first-rate triumph toppling world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals Shenzhen.
More: Osaka Withdraws from WTA Finals
Pressed into action after Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew due to a right shoulder injury, alternate Bertens reeled off eight straight games fighting back from a set and a break down to beat Barty for the first time in five meetings.
"I'm really happy at the moment, yes," Bertens told Andrew Krasny afterward. "In the bginning I think I was not playing so well I had to feel the court a little bit more but I think I was playing better and better in the rhythm, trying to play aggressive, trying to come to the net. So I think I did that pretty well."
Consider the daunting challenge the 10th-ranked Dutchwoman faced. Bertens found out a few hours before this scheduled Red Group, round-robin match that Osaka was out and she would play the world No. 1, who caused her major heartbreak in Beijing earlier this month.
Twenty-four days ago, Barty battled back from 3-5 down in the final set then saved a match point in the tie break to defeat Bertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) and book her spot in the Beijing final.
In this rematch, Bertens showed a sniper return game breaking serve seven times and pressing forward to finish at net and pull off the upset. Beaten out by Belinda Bencic for the eighth and final spot in the season-ending event, Bertens now has a shot to qualify for her second straight WTA Finals semifinals.
The 27-year-old Bertens often brings her best against the best: she raised her record to 8-3 vs. Top 10 opponents this season, including a 5-3 mark against the Top 5.
"It's just a great atmosphere," Bertens said. "It's nice to be here. First time in Shenzhen, I think the atmosphere is really nice.
"And it's just the last tournament of the year. So I'm trying to give all the energy that's left in me."
The Roland Garros champion exuded more urgency at the outset in a break-filled first set.
The Shenzhen debutante slid an ace down the middle snapping a streak of five straight breaks to hold for 5-2 after 28 minutes. Barty stamped successive love holds sealing the 34-minute opening set. Barty was the superior server in set one serving 56 percent compared to 43 percent for Bertens, who looked a little tight as she tried to find her range.
Pressuring the Dutchwoman, Barty drew the netted error breaking for a 2-1 second-set lead.
At that point, Bertens began hammering her forehand with more ambition to create some cracks in the Aussie's game. Three consecutive forehand errors from Barty gave the break back to Bertens in the fourth game.
Still, Bertens could not capitalize on that gift. She netted a running forehand as Barty earned the eighth break of the match to go up 3-2.
That's when Bertens began hitting with more depth sparking an eight-game surge to completely turn this match around. Bertens bounced back breaking twice in a row as Barty could not find the range on her groundstrokes and was sailing shots with increasing regularity.
Serving for the set, Bertens moved forward and forced a decider when the Aussie lofted a lob beyond the baseline.
Calling out coach Craig Tyzzer, Barty tried to regroup before the final set, but Bertens, perhaps reflected on her missed moment in Beijing, was not about to relinquish control.
A focused Bertens continued to do damage with her forehand breaking to open the third set then confirming the break.
The woman who grew up looking up to Kim Clijsters was moving with purpose and striking with power. Bertens' deep returns and willingness to transition to net were valuable assets in the final set. Barty tried squeezing a diagonal forehand inside the sideline, but Bertens successfully challenged and replay showed the ball landed wide. Bertens broke for her seventh straight game then snapped off a smash as she held for a commanding 4-0 lead.
A deflated Barty blew a 40-love lead in the the fifth game that spanned 10-and-a-half minutes and reached deuce seven times. Finally, Barty ended the struggle and frustration thumping a bounce smash to halt her slide and get on the board. Credit Barty for scraping back to 4-5 to force her opponent to serve for it.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Bertens opened with a double fault but kept calm. Resetting, Bertens rolled through four straight points sealing the victory.
It came one year after Bertens cracked the Top 10 to become the first Dutchwoman to be ranked in the Top 10 since Brenda Schultz-McCarthy in 1996.