Two tips from Graham Ruthven, for the semi finals of the women's Australian Open.
Ashleigh Barty v Sofia Kenin
Thursday 30 January, Australian Open women’s singles semi final
Tuesday’s quarter final against Petra Kvitova might not just go down as a landmark moment for Barty’s Australian Open campaign this year, but in her career as a whole. It was Kvitova who knocked the Australian out of the tournament at the same stage in 2019, but the world number one, with the weight of home expectation on her shoulders, turned in a performance that underlined just how far she has come in the space of 12 months.
It was almost as if the pressure focused Barty. The Australian won 45% of her receiving points and won 80% of her service games. There were some inconsistencies, particularly in the first set when both players made a number of unforced errors, but Barty’s game was tighter. After a slight patchy match against Alison Riske in the fourth round, this was a display befitting of the top seed.
On the flip side, this will be Kenin’s first Grand Slam semi final appearance. The American has enjoyed an excellent Australian Open so far, winning every match she has played in straight sets. Kenin’s greatest quality is her fight and determination. This was on display in the quarter final victory over Ons Jabeur. Despite not playing her best tennis, Kenin won the big points when they mattered most.
Kenin won 90% of her service games against Jabeur and dealt well with the movement of the Tunisian on the other side of the net. The American will now face a similarly mobile opponent in Barty and with the show courts at Melbourne Park this year looking slower than usual she might find it difficult to hit through the world number one. Kvitova, a bigger hitter than Kenin, discovered this.
This will be the sixth time that these two players have met, with Barty winning four of those previous matches. The most recent meeting was at last year’s Wuhan Open, with Barty emerging victories in straight sets. At 21, Kenin still has a lot of learning to do on the big stage and this match might come too early for her. Barring disaster, Barty should progress to her first ever Australian Open final.
2pts - Ashleigh Barty To Win Set 1 And Win 16/25
1pt - Ashleigh Barty First Service Break 4/7
