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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 30, 2021


Arduous journeys are nothing new to Ashleigh Barty, who withstood a 45-hour odyssey of flights from Brisbane to Miami.

The world No. 1 continues to show strength and poise going the distance.

TN Q&A: Danielle Collins

A resilient Barty saved all seven break points she faced battling by Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 into the Miami Open semifinals.

Facing a Top 10 opponent for the first time since the 2020 Australian Open, the reigning champion scored her 10th straight win at Hard Rock stadium, including her third three-set triumph of this tournament.

Exhibiting shrewd problem-solving skills in long matches is one of the Aussie's assets: Barty has won 27 of her last 34 three-setters and today's test was one of the toughest. Had she lost, Barty would have opened the door for second-ranked Naomi Osaka to surpass her and regain the world No. 1

Both Barty and Sabalenka saved a match point in their openers and the pair collaborated on a high-quality quarterfinal today. Sabalenka earned more break points—seven to four—and smacked 12 aces but Barty was better on pivotal points and the Belarusian looked pained after hitting a serve late in the match.




Staring down a love-40 hole in the sixth game, Barty elevated with a fine running forehand crosscourt and some stinging first serves erasing all three break points. Barty banged an ace out wide leveling after six games.




Thirty-two minutes into the match, Sabalenka blinked flattening a forehand into net to face break point then double faulted. An annoyed Sabalenka swiped her racquet at the court repeatedly handing Barty the break and a 5-4 lead.

Serving for the set, the reigning champion came back from 15-30 down, sliding a an angled serve out wide for set point. Barty darted a serve down the T for a one-set lead after 37 minutes.

Both women are accomplished doubles who know their way around net. Pressured in the sixth game, Barty blocked a tricky forehand volley down the line to erase break point eventually hammering a forehand into court to forge a 3-all second-set tie.

Still, the seventh-seeded Sabalenka did a good job staying patient and bending her knees to try to combat Barty's slithering slice backhand.

Sabalenka snapped her fifth ace down the middle closing the seventh game and putting the pressure right back on the top seed's shoulders. Sabalenka scalded a forehand return winner for a third break point in the eighth game, but Barty played a dynamic point to deny it. By then, the Aussie had saved all seven break points she faced.

Tested to deuce in the 12th game, Barty again rose to the challenge hitting her third ace to help force the tie breaker.

The 2019 Roland Garros champion cracked a jamming serve into the hip to go up 4-2 and move three points away from the semifinal.

Then Sabalenka shifted into a higher gear.

The Australian Open doubles champion won five of the next six points, including punishing a forehand down the line and raising a clenched fist to level at 5-all. On the seventh shot of the ensuing rally, the Aussie narrowly missed the sideline with a crosscourt forehand as Sabalenka seized set point at 6-5. When Barty scattered a slice wide Sabalenka erupted in a primal scream forcing a final set.

 


The heat rule was in effect giving both women a chance to cool down and reset before the decider.

Only one service break to that point put opportunities at a premium.

Tennis Express

The Belarusian bricked a volley and netted a bounce smash to face double break point in the sixth game. Sabalenka swatted a running forehand down the line to save the second, but winced in pain serving out the sixth game and was clutching at her left oblique muscle and stretching her arms out between points.

Pain and pressure conspired against Sabalenka, who slid into a split netting a running forehand then scattered a wild backhand gifting Barty the love break and a 5-3 lead.

The finish line was in sight and this time Barty flew through it with an ace and a strong wide serve to close in two hours, 16 minutes.

The world No. 1 will face fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina or Anastasija Sevastova for a spot in Saturday's final.


 

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