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Barty set to shift up a gear at the Open

3 minute read

World No.1 Ash Barty is once again the last local standing heading into the Australian Open second week at Melbourne Park.

ASHLEIGH BARTY of Australia.
ASHLEIGH BARTY of Australia. Picture: Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Revelling in her grand slam bubble, Ash Barty is ready to "scrap and fight" in pursuit of Australian Open glory after cruising through to the second week without dropping a set.

The world No.1 is once again the last local standing after powering into the last 16 for a sixth consecutive major - and third straight year at Melbourne Park.

But Barty knows she'll need to find another gear if she's to even reach the last eight, let alone break Australia's 43-year Open title drought.

The big home hope takes on American Shelby Rogers, a heavy-hitting opponent defying her unseeded status with her own impressive run through the draw.

Rogers is also yet to drop a set, surging into the fourth round for the loss of only 17 games.

Barty beat her en route to the Yarra Valley Classic title but needed three sets after weathering a mid-match storm.

"It's always exceptionally tough against Shelby. She's got the ability to take the game away from you, she's got the ability to give you no control out there," the top seed said.

"And that's something I'm going to have to try and nullify and neutralise as best I can.

"At times it will be me scrapping and fighting. Other times I will be trying to take the more aggressive option.

"Other times, sometimes you have to almost dangle a carrot in a way where you tempt her to try and take some risks. I'll have to do that, try all different things, just as I did last week and just as I've done every time that I've played her.

"So we'll have to do the best that we can, but understand that the match is not always in my full control."

Having played seven matches in a fortnight, and none in 11 months before that, Barty is feeling the wear and tear.

But the 24-year-old is adamant her heavily-strapped left thigh won't cruel her title chances.

"Feels good," she said.

"We had to give it time to rest and recover. We are doing all the right things to make it as good as possible.

"As I said, it's a pretty small tape job that looks a little more dramatic just from wrapping it to try and keep it on."

Monday's clash will be played on day three of Victoria's five-day lockdown, again without crowds, but Barty insists it's business as usual for her anyway.

"My standard January hibernation, even though we're in February. It's the same thing," she said.

"Usually for me it's coming in here, doing our work, doing what we need to do on-site, and then once we get home it's either Netflix or a book or watching whatever is on telly.

"I'm pretty easy to just switch off, so that remains the same regardless for what kind of position we're in at the moment."

Victory over Rogers woud propel the 24-year-old into a quarter-final against either Belgian Elise Mertens or Croatian Donna Vekic on Wednesday.

AUSSIES IN ACTION AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN ON MONDAY:

Women's singles, fourth round

1-Ash Barty v Shelby Rogers (USA)

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