'What is happening': Fans perplexed after 'unforgivable' Ash Barty display
Ash Barty may have defeated Shelby Rogers four times in 2021, but her opening set against the American in the US Open third round had fans shaking their heads.
The World No.1 entered the match as a strong favourite with a potential showdown with British superstar Emma Raducanu waiting for the winner.
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However, despite holding such a strong record against the American this year, Barty played one of her worst sets of tennis in some time after serving five double faults and hitting 17 unforced errors.
The American ran away with the set 6-2 in 35 minutes.
There was lots of pressure on Barty, being the only Australian left in the draw, and it seemed to get to the World No.1 in humid conditions.
Upset alert in Ashe? 👀
Shelby Rogers takes the first set over World No. 1 Ash Barty, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/atYStInNKP— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2021
Barty doesn't look good at all tonight. Making many silly mistakes. 🤔🤔 #USOpen
— Siobhan 🇬🇬 (@slinehan1) September 4, 2021
Barty doesn't look good at all tonight. Making many silly mistakes. 🤔🤔 #USOpen
— Siobhan 🇬🇬 (@slinehan1) September 4, 2021
yo i’m not watching the match rn, but WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ASH BARTY???
— MARA loves tennis (@tennis_mara7) September 4, 2021
You won't see Barty play worse than this.
— Elliot Ahn (@elliotahn) September 5, 2021
Some of Barty’s shots are unforgivable
— Ms Sharp (@TheMsSharp) September 5, 2021
Unforced errors, double faults... What's going on Ash? You were supposed to submitt Shelby to the Barty treatment.
— Burity Rui (@BurityR) September 4, 2021
Ash Barty trying to win a match with Benoit Paire's forehand is an interesting strategy
— Trenton Jocz (@TrentonJocz) September 4, 2021
Barty feels so off, it’s the conditions I’m telling you. The acoustics, the lights, the crowd breathing on her neck, she’s not used to it.
— Paps (@DatGoneIt77) September 4, 2021
Remarkably, the commentators pointed out Barty was able to 'flick a switch' during the set break and come out to take the second set in barnstorming fashion.
Barty then took a 5-2 lead in the final set and had two opportunities to serve out the match.
But, her struggles serving for the win continued and Rogers broke twice to send the decider into a tiebreak.
And after a some high-quality baseline hitting from both opponents, Rogers was able to earn the mini-break and win 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 to set up a showdown with British teen sensation Emma Raducanu.
Emma Raducanu stuns tennis world
Waiting the winner of this match is British teen Raducanu.
The 18-year-old Raducanu, who burst onto the scene earlier this year by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in her first Grand Slam appearance, was utterly dominant against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo, closing out the one-sided match 6-0, 6-1 in 70 minutes.
The rising star became the youngest British woman to advance to round four of the US Open since 2012.
Raducanu, who came to New York ranked 150th in the world, has breezed through all three of her matches without dropping a set and won a hugely impressive 79 per cent of her first-serve points while smashing 23 winners past her hapless opponent.
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