Top-ranked Ash Barty continues her strong form in the Madrid Open, narrowly beating Polish, Iga Świątek, 7-5, 6-4 last night. The win puts Barty into the quarter-finals of the competition.
This was Barty’s 23rd win of the season, but it didn’t come easy. She had a slow start, trailing 0-3 in the opening set but then fought her way back to win the match in one hour and 41 minutes. It was her first time facing the Polish teenager and she was happy to have secured the win.
“Really enjoyed myself out there tonight. I enjoyed the challenge. Iga’s game is exceptional. It’s really, really impressive,” Barty said.
This is Barty’s 14th consecutive win on red clay courts.
Barty’s win over Swiatek is her tour-leading 23rd win of the season (23-3).
Now 9-0 vs. Top 20 opponents in 2021.
Faces Kvitova for a 10th time on Wednesday.
Kvitova leads the H2H 5-4 and won their last meeting in the 2020 Doha SFs. That win snapped a 4 match skid to Barty.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 3, 2021
A strong performance from Barty in the Madrid Open will make a strong statement heading into Roland Garros at the end of the month.
Photo: Ash Barty by Carine06 available HERE used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.
