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'Very poor': Tennis fans fume over 'disgraceful' Ash Barty farce

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Ash Barty, pictured here after winning the singles and doubles titles at the Adelaide International.
Ash Barty won the singles and doubles titles at the Adelaide International. Image: Getty

Aussie tennis fans were left fuming on Sunday night when Ash Barty's doubles final at the Adelaide International wasn't televised on free-to-air TV.

The World No.1 claimed two trophies on Sunday, winning the singles and doubles titles in an ominous warning to her Australian Open rivals.

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After beating Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-2 in the singles final on Sunday afternoon, Barty teamed up with Storm Sanders for a 6-1, 6-4 win over Darija Jurak Schreiber and Andreja Klepac in the doubles final.

However TV viewers were left up in arms when Barty and Sanders' doubles triumph wasn't televised on Channel Nine.

The broadcaster was forced to make the tough decision to put the doubles final on their streaming platform Stan Sport, showing Rafael Nadal's final in Melbourne on one free-to-air channel and the ATP Cup final on the other.

However fans were fuming that the Aussies were shafted to Stan Sport, with many taking to social media to express their displeasure.

Many felt that the Aussie girls should have been given priority considering there were no Australians in the matches that were featured on the main channels.

Ash Barty staying focused on Australian Open

Barty is containing her excitement despite hoisting a second Adelaide International trophy in three years and completing a rare title double in a perfect start to her 2022 season.

The World No.1 underlined her Australian Open title favouritism with an emphatic win over 14th-ranked Rybakina.

Her straight-sets victory over the Kazakh improved Barty's record against top-20 rivals to a super impressive 17-1 since the beginning of last year.

The top-seeded home hope also beat teenage prodigy Coco Gauff, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofin Kenin and 2020 French Open winner Iga Swiatek en route to lifting the 14th trophy of her career.

Storm Sanders and Ash Barty, pictured here after winning the doubles title at the Adelaide International.
Storm Sanders and Ash Barty celebrate after winning the doubles title at the Adelaide International. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

The World No.1's domination of her rivals following a four-month layoff had former Wimbledon semi-finalist turned commentator Jelena Dokic declaring she'd never seen Barty bettered prepared for an Australian Open.

"It's all relative, isn't it? It depends on how many matches. It depends on match-ups," Barty said.

"There are so many different variables coming into what you guys are seeing, and sometimes what you see is completely different to how I feel.

"I feel good leading up to an Australian Open like I have every year. Each and every preparation is unique, each and every preparation is different.

"So we take it for what comes and what it is, move on, try and do the best that we can in every opportunity, whether that's here in Adelaide or it's in Melbourne.

"It has absolutely no effect on the way that I prepare or the way I'm thinking leading forward just because it's a grand slam."

Barty will now head to the Australian Open brimming with confidence, which starts on January 17.

"I felt like when my back was against the wall this week, I was able to have some real clarity with what I wanted to do and the patterns that I wanted to play," Barty said.

"That's a bonus. You can't always execute that."

with AAP

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