Forty four minutes was all Ash Barty needed to overwhelm Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in an emphatic 6-0, 6-0 win in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday night.
The World No. 1 only dropped 10 points all night against Kovinic in a superb performance that marked her return to grand slam tennis after a year long hiatus due to the pandemic. In the first set, Barty dropped just four points to close the opening set in 18 minutes.
It was an immaculate match for Barty, who barely broke a sweat as she proved her position as a top contender for the Australian Open title.
Barty spent most of 2020 on the sidelines, having opted to wait out the pandemic at home in Australia. It seems her preparation at home has paid off, especially as she avoided the hotel quarantine process that so may players faced before the grand slam tournament in Melbourne.
Happy to be home 😍@ashbarty | #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/BL6KIsMdil
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 9, 2021
On average, Barty served 9km faster than she did at last year’s Australia Open, where she reached the semi-final. She utilised her famous backhand slice to control the court as Kovinic made 28 unforced errors.
With this near-perfect opening performance behind her, Barty has sent a clear message that she wants to be the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open in 43 years
“I know that deep down, my team and I have done the work and we have earned the right to play at this level,” she said afterwards.
“I think there is always a bit of the unknown at the start of a season. Particularly after such a long break. Knowing that there is every chance it’s not going to be exactly where we want it, straight away.
“But that’s the challenge. Coming out here and trying to bring my best stuff on that given day – knowing we’ve done the work during preseason and we’ve done the work over the years.
“I feel comfortable in my own skin to go out there and find a way. Whether the tennis is great or it’s not, I know I have other weapons I can go to. Not just hitting the tennis ball.”
Barty said that during her time away from the game in 2020, she had “missed tennis every single day”.
“The competitor in me missed what this is all about, missed the last hour before you come out on court. The bonus particularly for us players in the next few weeks is we’ve got crowds, we’ve got people to enjoy it with us and that’s really, really special.”
“I want to challenge myself to be the complete player. I want to challenge myself to grow and develop every single day, both as a human and a tennis player.”
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