By Tennis Now | Saturday, November 9, 2019
Ashleigh Barty crushed Caroline Garcia in a 6-0, 6-0 shutout to level host Australia with France in the Fed Cup final setting up a showdown with Kristina Mladenovic.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Respective No. 1 players produced ruthless performances setting up a stirring showdown in the Fed Cup final.
Playing what she called "probably the best match of my life", world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty crushed Caroline Garcia in a 6-0, 6-0 shutout to level host Australia with France, 1-1, in the Fed Cup final at Perth's RAC Arena.
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French No. 1 Kristina Mladenovic opened the final annihilating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-1 to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead.
Then Barty dispensed a double-bagel thrashing to world No. 45 Garcia.
The Roland Garros champion was in frighteningly sharp form winning 12 of 14 points played on her serve in rolling through the opening set. Barty sealed a one-set lead converting her fifth set point.
That was the only game where Garcia reached deuce on her serve.
Barty banged eight aces and won 19 of 21 first-serve points in a rousing performance that stirred Aussie fans.
"This is remarkable," Barty said. "I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect match. I think that’s probably the best tennis match I’ve ever played in my life, and what a place to do it, this is incredible.
"I’m so happy to be back here in Perth. I started my year here, so it’s a hell of a way to finish it off too."
Empowered by her run to the WTA Finals Shenzhen championship, Barty will face WTA Finals doubles champion Mladenovic in Sunday's opening reverse singles.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
On searingly hot day, Mladenovic dictated play with her forehand cracking 10 of her 16 winners in the opening set as Tomljanovic, playing her first Fed Cup singles match in eight years could not keep pace.
"I love this kind of event," Mladenovic said. "The bigger the pressure it is, the more special the event. I love fighting, and I’m so proud to give this first point to my team, to my country, to our supporters and our federation.
"I came out there and just wanted to win, basically. She is a good friend of mine and I think the level was great. I really did almost a perfect match, I was really in the zone."
French No. 2 Garcia is scheduled to play Tomljanovic in Sunday's second reverse singles with Barty and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur set to face former French Open doubles champions Mladenovic and Garcia in the final doubles match.
French captain Julien Benneteau and Australian captain Alicia Molik can substitute for Sunday's matches.
Barty, who boasts an 11-1 career Fed Cup singles record, is aiming to lead Australia to its first Fed Cup championship since 1974. Mladenovic and Garcia are bidding to carry France to its third Fed Cup championship and first since 2003.