Barty blasted 11 aces in the match, seven of which came in a one-sided first set. The second set was far more competitive though, and things were further complicated by a Hawkeye malfunction which resulted in a brief pause.
Upon the resumption of play, with Barty looking to serve out the match at 5-4, Zvonareva broke back. Barty then had to save a set point in the tiebreaker before finally sealing the win in 1 hour 28 minutes.
The Aussie is playing in New York after two years, and during her post-match press conference she admitted that it took her longer to adjust to the conditions.
Delving into the details of how the match transpired, Barty conceded that she played a couple of poor service games in the second set. But the top seed went on to claim she was pleased with the way she trusted her instincts in the high-pressure situations.
Ashleigh Barty naturally looked a bit peeved when the match came to a halt due to the electronic system malfunction, since it disrupted her momentum. She was even seen having a chat with the umpire during the break.
When quizzed about that, the 2019 French Open winner stated she just wanted to make sure all cameras were working perfectly again.
“It’s just sometimes you have to get the timing right” - Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty is one of just three active players to have won their first two Majors on natural surfaces, the others being Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza. All three of them are strong hardcourt players as well, but are interestingly still waiting for Slam glory on the artificial surface.
Barty attributed that to the timing and the occasion, given that she faces a lot of pressure at her home Slam in Melbourne. The World No. 1 also pointed out that staying focused for two weeks can be a challenge.
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