By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, June 1, 2021
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty withstood a left hip injury and red-hot Bernard Pera prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 for her eighth straight Roland Garros victory.
Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty
Ash Barty climbed off the clay with a committed comeback in her Roland Garros return—and faced questions over her fitness following flare-up of a nagging hip issue.
The world No. 1 withstood a left hip injury and persistent pain-in-the-neck Bernarda Pera battling through the final four games in a gritty 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory for her eighth straight win in Paris.
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It was Barty's first French Open match since she defeated Marketa Vondrousova to capture her maiden major in 2019. Barty opted out of Paris last autumn due to the pandemic and expressed eagerness to launch her return with a "clean slate" in her pre-tournament presser.
This two-hour test wasn't the ideal way for Barty to get reacquainted with Roland Garros' red clay. It showcased her survival skills and ability to problem-solve armed with whatever's working for her on a given day, but also highlighted physical vulnerability. Barty conceded cranky hip pain recurred over the weekend and will likely be an ongoing issue.
"Yeah, it's, I mean, it's going to be a little bit tough this week," Barty said. "I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip, which obviously just needed a bit of help today, needed some assistance to try and release it off as best I could.
"But, no, I think we were able to fight through, able to give ourself a chance to play again the next round. Today was all about going out there and giving myself a chance and letting myself play with as much freedom as possible and enjoy every minute. We were able to do that today."
Barty raised her record to a WTA-best 28-5 on the season, including an impressive 12-2 mark in three-setters where the depth of her game—and competitive desire—continue to carry her through.
Credit the 70th-ranked Pera with executing a clear and simple game-plan effectively for much of the match: persistently pound her lefty forehand into the Aussie's weaker backhand wing, confine the top seed to the corner then shoot the forehand into open space down the line. Pera put the world No. 1 on the brink less than 24 hours after world No. 2 Naomi Osaka withdrew from the event citing an ongoing battle with depression after controversy over her decision to opt out of mandatory press conferences.
For two-and-a-half sets, Pera played with patient aggression piling up an edge in both winners and aces. Pera doubled Barty's winner total—36 to 18—but the rewards from risk also provoked some wild errors as the American sprayed 49 unforced errors, nearly doubling the Aussie.
As the finish line loomed, Pera got a little slap-happy and sloppy and betrayed her own cause with some unruly shot selection, while Barty locked down and played points with more clarity scoring her 14th win in 17 clay-court matches this season.
The question is: Can Barty continue to find ways to win whe she concedes she's not 100 percent physically fit for the fortnight?
"That was a massive part of today was accepting the fact that, yes, I may not be absolutely 100% but I'm certainly good enough to go out there and fight and do the best I can and give myself a chance to win matches," Barty said. "I'm not going to hide behind the fact I'm not quite 100% but I can guarantee that I will go out there with the right attitude every day and be really accepting of that and give it a crack no matter what. I think it's a week, it's going to be tough now without a doubt. I'm excited to be here, excited to play and have another opportunity to be playing in a Grand Slam."
Playing with adhesive taping wrapping her left thigh, Barty broke three times in a row bursting out to a 5-2 lead. The Stuttgart champion put a flat forehand into net dropping serve in the eighth game. Pera was hitting flat strikes into the Aussie's backhand wing and through the center of the court as she streaked through a love hold for 4-5 shifting pressure right back on the top seed.
Soft hands and a shot for every situation give Barty an edge negotiating the occasional funky bounces red clay can produce. Shoveling a short forehand, Barty drew an error to take the 45-minute opener.
Resetting, Pera curled a crosscourt forehand breaking at 15 for a 2-0 second-set lead. Rushing Barty into a backhand error, the left-hander slid her fifth ace stretching her lead to 3-0 after 56 minutes of play.
As each woman tried to attack the other's backhand, Barty was playing her slice backhand low and sometimes slow forcing Pera to generate her own pace. Pera fended off a dangerous return, worked her way back into the point and spun a flashy forehand down the line that helped her hold for 5-2.
Seventy-five minutes into the match, Barty stared down a set point and saved it hooking a crosscourt forehand inside the sideline. The 2019 champion withstood the stress holding in the eighth game.
Still, Barty was struggling to find a backhand solution for the barrage of forehands streaming from the left-hander's forehand.
Serving for the set, Pera saved a break point with a curling serve into the corner, coaxed a backhand error and smacked a clean forehand strike down the line sending this first-rounder into a final set after 82 minutes.
Straddling the baseline at times, the American pounded out 16 more winners—27 to 11—than Barty through two sets.
Following the second set Barty called for the trainer, who came out and worked on the Aussie's upper leg and hamstring.
Would Barty be able to push up on serve for the final set?
The top seed slid a serve winner off the sideline to save break point in the third game warding off a pair of break points earning a hard-fought hold for 2-1.
The 26-year-old Pera had not surrendered serve since the opening set and sustained that streak leveling after four games.
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Six games into the decider, Barty earned a break point but floated a backhand lob long. A Pera error gave Barty a second break point. Barty blocked back a return and Pera slapped a nervy forehand into the net gifting the crucial break and a 4-2 lead. It was Barty's first break since she broke for a 5-2 first-set lead.
Breathing room gave Barty space to swing more freely. Spinning her fifth ace, Barty backed up up the break for 5-2 on a ghastly backhand error from Pera.
Barty moves on though more physical and tactical tests will come. How will the world No. 1's cranky leg withstand the rigors of sometime punishing red clay? And will opponents be able to replicate Pera's game-plan, pound away at Barty's backhand wing and sometimes try to even make her pass under pressure off that wing? Next up for Barty is either Poland's Magda Linette or French wild card Chloé Paquet in round two.