By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 19, 2021
Ash Barty shredded through 10 straight games thrashing defending Western & Southern Open champion Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-2 in Cincinnati.
Photo credit: Charlie Baglan/Western & Southern Open Facebook
There is a time and place for everything.
Today’s Cincinnati clash with world No. 1 Ash Barty wasn’t the right time or place for Victoria Azarenka.
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A sharp Barty shredded through 10 straight games thrashing defending Western & Southern Open champion Azarenka 6-0, 6-2 in a one hour, 11-minute rout.
World No. 1 Barty was nearly untouchable on first serve winning 27 of 31 first-serve points and denying all three break points she faced.
"I think sometimes a scoreline in tennis can fool you," Barty said. "Even though it was quite a convincing scoreline, for most part of that match, each and every game there were crucial points within each and every game. I felt like I was able to win a lot of those big points today.
"As I said, getting ahead early in games was really helpful. Whether it be 40-Love or Love-30 on Vika's serve, I was able to continually build pressure over time of winning those early points in games. I think I was able to control the ball a lot better today. I was able to use my slice effectively and set up my forehand a lot better today, and I felt overall it was a pretty solid match."
Barty applied her versatility and ball control skills snapping Azarenka’s seven-match tournament winning streak.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Barty will face a fellow Roland Garros champion—either Barbora Krejcikova or Garbine Muguruza—for a spot in Saturday’s semifinals.
The top seed applied her all-court skills from the outset working her way to net to knock off a forehand volley breaking to open the match.
Two games later, Azarenka slapped a double fault into the tape to face double break point. The Belarusian saved both but bumped a forehand into the net then scattered a slice approach wide as Barty snatched a double-break 3-0 lead 10 minutes into the match.
Continuing to dictate play and deploy her variety, Barty bounced off the blue court and snapped off a smash converting her third set point to dispense a 26-minute bagel.
Barty won 11 of 12 first-serve points and broke serve three times in the set.
Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka left the court for a bathroom break, but couldn’t shake the Aussie upon her return. Barty curled a crosscourt forehand pass breaking to start the second set with her seventh straight game.
The Wimbledon winner’s transition skills distinguish her from other elite players. Barty saved a break point then pasted a drive volley winner for her eighth straight game.
The Aussie made history becoming the first woman to win Wimbledon weeks after retiring from Roland Garros.
The 32-year-old Azarenka finally held at 30 to snap a slide of 10 straight games for Barty.
Barty served out the match at 30 to raise her 2021 record to 37-7, including a 16-3 mark on hard courts.
"Certainly playing on center court here is beautiful," Barty said. "It was nice to be able to play a really clean match and I think trust myself a little bit more today, go out there and play with some more freedom and ultimately be more in control of that match."
Next up for 2019 Roland Garros champion Barty is a meeting with another French Open champion—either Garbine Muguruza or reigning Roland Garros singles and doubles champion Barbora Krejcikova—for a semifinal spot.
Earlier, former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber won eight straight points to close a thrilling 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 comeback conquest of former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Kerber rallied from 0-3 down in the final set and served for the match at 5-4 only to see Ostapenko break back. That’s when Kerber caught a higher gear to roll to her 13th win in her last 14 matches.
“I'm feeling good,” Kerber said. “After Wimbledon I had a break, because I was a little bit, yeah, light-injured and, you know, I was trying to recover soon, and now to having like these matches, that gives me actually also confidence for my body that I feel good.
“The conditions are not easy here. It's really hot and humid. So I'm happy that I had the matches, and let's see how many matches I can still have here and having the best preparation I can have before then New York.”
The 33-year-old German will play either Petra Kvitova or Ons Jabeur for a final four spot.