By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Ash Barty dismissed Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3 setting up an intriguing semifinal clash vs. 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber.
Photo credit: Getty
Driving an exclamation point ace on match point, Ash Barty continues to celebrate anniversary with quality creativity.
A dynamic Barty dismissed Australian Olympic teammate Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3 rolling into her first Wimbledon semifinal to set up a blockbuster clash of Grand Slam champions vs. 2018 Wimbledon winner Angelique Kerber.
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It's a double victory for Barty, who ensured she will retain the world No. 1 ranking after Wimbledon.
"This is a dream come true—genuinely it is," Barty said. "This is my dream and I'm extremely grateful that I've got an opportunity to come out here and have fun and live out what I've worked so hard to do.
"I'm loving every minute, enjoying every minute and this afternoon was no different."
Ten years after Barty won the Wimbledon girls' title, she know stands within two wins of joining Ann Jones, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo as just the fourth junior champion to raise the Rosewater Dish.
The world No. 1 aced out a grass-court tutorial setting up the "ultimate test" against former No. 1 Kerber.
Three-time major champion Kerber conquered Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-3 for her first Slam semifinal since she toppled Serena Williams in the 2018 Wimbledon final. Kerber rides a 10-match grass-court winning streak into Thursday's semifinals, including winning her 13th career title on the grass of Bad Homburg. Barty and Kerber have split four prior meetings.
"The ultimate test: Angie has obviously had success here before, had the best fortnight here possible," Barty said. "I love that match-up. I love playing Angie. She's an incredible competitor. She knows her way around this court and I hope I can play well and give myself a chance and play a good match."
The 25th-seeded Kerber has brought her best tennis to this grass season.
"Against Ash, I know that I have to play my best tennis," Kerber said. "She has a lot of confidence right now. She played well. I know that I have to play my own game.
"I have to just think how to play, be aggressive, and trying to taking the match more in my hands and going for it. Even if I miss few shots, I have to stay there and trying to pushing her."
A wild Wimbledon that saw 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams tumble out with injury in her opener against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and four of the Top 10 seeds, including two-time champion Petra Kvitova, fail to survive the first hurdle, will climax with a couple of riveting semifinals.
Power players Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Pliskova, each seeking a maiden major title, square off in one semifinal with the lefty-handed Kerber facing shot-maker Barty in a match where both the former and current world No. 1 will try to control play with the forehand.
The Barty-Tomljanovic quarterfinal was the first all-Australian Grand Slam quarterfinal since Evonne Goolagong, Barty's hero and mentor, beat Wendy Turnbull on her way to the 1980 Wimbledon title.
The 75th-ranked Tomljanovic can look back on the best run of her Grand Slam career with pride, but after holding serve at love to open her maiden major quarterfinal, she was outclassed by Barty's all-court styling. Barty burst through 17 of 19 points teasing Tomljanovic with the tricky slice to draw a netted forehand sealing a love break for 4-1.
Deploying a dizzying array of speeds and spins, Barty streaked through six games in a row sliding a forehand down the line to steam through the 24-minute opener.
The top seed beat Tomljanovic in forehand exchanges using sidespin on her crosscourt forehand to sometimes drag her opponent out of position. Tomljanovic needed to stop the bleeding and did—temporarily—breaking to star the second set. Barty broke right back.
Former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova called Barty's slice backhand the best she's seen since Roberta Vinci after bowing to the Aussie in the 2019 Miami Open final. Sliding a series of slices of varying depth that danced near Tomljanovic's shins, Barty used the slice to set up her finishing forehand. Trying to dig out low replies, Tomljanovic struggled to tame her strokes dropping serve to fall behind 1-3.
In dire straits, Tomljanovic made a stand navigating a tense hold—her first since a love hold in the opening game of the match—for 2-4 as boyfriend Matteo Berrettini raised a clenched fist in support from the player box.
A sloppy stretch from the top seed saw Barty commit four unforced errors in a row gifting back the beak in the seventh game.
Soft hands and sharp racquet skills make Barty so strong in the transition game. Barty can close at net and drag opponents into awkard positions in the front court. Bolting a passing shot, Barty coaxed successive errors to slam shut the threat breaking back for 5-3.
On her second match point, Barty slashed her fourth ace wrapping a tidy 66-minute sweep of her Aussie Olympic teammate with a hearty embrace.