World No.1 Barty loses season opener
World number one Ashleigh Barty remains upbeat about her Australian Open preparations despite losing her opening match of the season at the Brisbane International yesterday.
American qualifier Jennifer Brady notched up her first ever win over a top 10 player when she beat Barty 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Pat Rafter Arena.
It was Barty’s first match on home soil since becoming world number one, and came at the venue she trains at and in front of thousands of her adoring home fans.
Barty conceded afterwards she had simply been outplayed by Brady, who also beat former world number one Maria Sharapova in the first round.
Barty grew up in Ipswich on Brisbane’s western outskirts and has had hundreds of fans packing outside courts to watch her practice this week.
But when she was asked whether she felt any pressure because of the attention she insisted she didn’t feel any different.
Brady will now play two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who beat Russian qualifier Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.
World number two and defending champion had to battle for two hours to avoid the same fate as Barty, eventually beating Australian wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1.
Pliskova will meet Alison Riske of the US in the quarter-finals.
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