By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 5, 2019
Ash Barty rallied from a break down in the third to defeat Kiki Bertens at the China Open.
With her back against the wall, Ashleigh Barty came up with the goods.
The World No.1 rallied from 5-3 down late in the third then saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker to defeat Kiki Bertens 6-3 3-6 7-6(7) on Saturday in Beijing to book her spot in the China Open final.
Barty improved to 52-10 on the season and 17-4 in deciding sets with the clutch victory.
The Aussie was down and out when she took the balls to serve at 3-5 in the third set, with Bertens controlling the run of play and angling for the victory, but Barty found away to hold and then produced her third break of the match to level at 5-all.
After a trade of holds Bertens quickly took a 3-0 lead in the deciding-set tiebreaker, but Barty bounced back to level at three-all on a Bertens double-fault just prior to the change of ends.
Barty would earn a match point at 6-5 but Bertens rifled a forehand winner down the line to level at 6-all and earned a match point of her own at 7-6.
The Dutchwoman, who fell to 0-4 lifetime against Barty with the loss, had her chance at the win. She came to the net on her match point point, hit a volley, but Barty executed the pass to level at 7-all.
The Aussie won the next two points to clinch the win in two hours and 19 minutes.
The 23-year-old is into her second Premier Mandatory final of 2019. She won the Miami title in March before going on to claim her maiden major title at Roland Garros in June.
Barty will bid for her fourth title of 2019 (and 7th overall) when she faces either Naomi Osaka or Caroline Wozniacki in the final. The Aussie has now won six of her last seven matches against the Top 10 and eight of 12 on the season.