Google News
The WTA world number one Ashleigh Barty saved herself, or at least she avoided the third set. The home-crowd player went easily at 6-1 5-2 but jammed close to the finish line. But at the end, Barty won with the fina score of 6-1 7-6(7).
Daria Gavrilova, thanks to the circumstances, forcefully returned to the match, and even put pressure in response at the foot of the tie break. The Australian tennis player, despite some mistakes, re-established the hierarchies and with a half hour delay on the schedule.
She hit the finish line in the third round. Ekaterina Alexandrova will be waiting for her, last week reached the semifinal at the Gippsland Trophy. In the press conference after the match, Ashleigh talked about the problems she had in the second set and her friendship with her today's opponent Daria Gavrilova, who also is a great friend of her countrywoman.
Ashleigh Barty: "I want to be wrong in the right way"
Barty said: "I have lost my compass tactically. Even if I'm wrong, I want to be wrong in the right way, having the right intentions. I missed this in the second set. Daria? She is one of those who make me smile in a genuine way.
Returning to the Tour after eleven months was nice because I saw the friends with whom I could only talk via chat, Petra, Simona or Kiki Mladenovic. Daria and I have played many times and we have great respect for each other when we enter the pitch.
After the handshake we are always friends and the result does not count in the end." The Australian closed the match with three times the unforced errors compared to winning points, also thanks to the tension after the long wrong pass at the end of the second set, especially whe she was on the score of 6-1 5-2.
Gavrilova reached the tiebreaker. Barty had to face two set points, but she then managed to close the decisive tie-break 9-7 and pass the round unscathed, qualifying for the third round of the Happy Slam.
