Following an impressive week at the Miami Open, Ashleigh Barty is hoping her Florida success can kick-start her 2021 campaign.
The Australian continues to sit at the top of the world rankings, and now she will have plenty of backers ahead of the three remaining Grand Slam events of the year.
Barty Eager to Build on Landmark Win
Queensland star Barty managed to secure the first title defence of her career, as she saw off the challenge of Canadian opponent Bianca Andreescu in the Miami Open final at the start of April. Barty admitted it was not the way she wanted to win the title in Florida, after Andreescu was forced to retire with an ankle injury.
Nonetheless, it was a first title defence, and one Barty hopes will lead her on to better things. The 24-year-old is 10/1 with bet365 in the tennis betting to win the French Open. Many will be expecting the 2019 French Open winner to be there or thereabouts come the business end of the competition at Roland Garros.
Following the win in Miami, Barty said she was now excited to kick-start a long campaign ahead in the best possible way. Based on what was seen in Florida, Barty has the potential to do something special this year.
Areas to Work on
It’s still relatively early in the season, but Barty will know there are still areas of her game that she will need to work on if she is to add to her single Grand Slam title. The Aussie was somewhat erratic with her service game in the win over Andreescu, and she will need to hone this ahead of Roland Garros.
Coach Craig Tyzzer will be working hard with Barty behind the scenes to get her ready for the French Open, but there are plenty of positives to take from Miami. Victoria Azarenka, Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina all fell to Barty on her way to the final. A convincing 6-3 6-3 win over the Ukrainian Svitolina was especially impressive in the semi-final stage. Barty produced seven aces that day, showing she is more than capable of causing top players problems with her serve.
2021 a Huge Opportunity for Barty
This year provides some great opportunities for Barty to add to her Grand Slam tally. She would have hoped to have made a winning start at her home major but was beaten at the Australian Open in the quarter-finals by Czech star Karolina Muchova. It was Japan’s Naomi Osaka who went on to win the title in Melbourne, and once again it looks like a season where multiple players can thrive in the Grand Slam events.
Barty has not got past the fourth round of either Wimbledon or the US Open, but she looks to be in a position this year to really challenge for titles in London and New York. After that success in Miami, it certainly looks like Barty is a player to look out for, in what is an intriguing season in the women’s game.