'Absolutely clinical': Ash Barty's brutal display in Aus Open opener
World No.1 Ash Barty put in a near flawless display against Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic after a double-bagel to open her Australian Open account in 2021.
Barty, fresh off winning the Yarra Valley Classic, dished out a 6-0, 6-0 demolition to the World No.82 on Rod Laver Arena.
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Barty crushed her opponent in just 44 minutes winning 16 consecutive points in the first set.
She eventually lost four points to take the first set 6-0, which had the commentators talking about a perfect ‘Golden Set’.
Barty then stormed away in the second only dropping six points to wrap up the match in imperious fashion.
Fans were in disbelief after the World No.1’s performance.
Making a statement 💯@ashbarty drops just four points to clinch the opening set against Danka Kovinic 6-0 in 18 minutes.#AO2021 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wvltqbFkR9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 9, 2021
The World No.1 is done in 4️⃣4️⃣ minutes!@AshBarty storms through her #AusOpen R1 bout with Kovinic, 6-0, 6-0! pic.twitter.com/xzYKZcgBx4
— wta (@WTA) February 9, 2021
Many top women threw down emphatic statement wins in their #AusOpen first rounds, ending with Ash Barty's 6-0, 6-0 win over Danka Kovinic.
Feels like the old days, in a good way.— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) February 9, 2021
So Ash Barty won the first 16 points of the match, served up a first-set bagel in 18 minutes, and dropped just 2 points on serve so far.
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) February 9, 2021
World No.1 Ash Barty lays down a marker. She posts the quickest match of the first round, defeating Danka Kovinic 60 60 in 44 minutes.
Faces either Gavrilova or Sorribes Tormo. #AusOpen— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 9, 2021
🍩 🍩 for Ash Barty!! Opening round match done in 44 minutes with just 5 unforced errors ... amazing!! #AusOpen
— Nat Edwards (@Nat_Edwards) February 9, 2021
Cripes, @ashbarty wins the first set 6-0 #AusOpen
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) February 9, 2021
Ash Barty absolutely clinical. Bearly broke a sweat #AusOpen2021
— Brad Obrien (@bradob81) February 9, 2021
Barty’s double bagel was her first at Grand Slam level, but her third on the WTA since her return to tennis.
That was Ash Barty's first double bagel (6-0 6-0) at a slam & her third since returning to tennis.
v Kovinic, #AusOpen 2021
v Garcia, Fed Cup 2019
v Xu, Nottingham 2016
v Fichman, Pelham AL 25K 2013
v Ozaki, Toyota 75K 2012
v Sharipova, Bendigo 25K 2012
v Keir, Ipswich 25K 2012— Max Laughton (@maxlaughton) February 9, 2021
The demolition was also the quickest women’s match for Round 1.
Top seeds make statement at Australian Open
Serena Williams needed less than an hour to follow the oldest player in the women's draw - her sister Venus - into the second round with a 6-1, 6-1 dispatch of German Laura Siegemund.
The seven-times champion already looks the biggest threat in the bottom half of the draw to title favourite and third seed Naomi Osaka.
Osaka dropped only one game more than Serena in swatting aside three-time quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2 in her opener.
Multiple grand slam champions and former Australian Open finalists Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova cruised past unheralded opponents, with the Romanian second-seed taking less than an hour to complete her 6-2, 6-1 win over Australia's Lizette Carbrera.
Ninth-seed Kvitova beat Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4.
with AAP
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