Ash Barty is keeping her Wimbledon dream alive after defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-3 and is on her way to the semi-finals.
She will face 2018 champion Angelique Kerber on Thursday, but Barty was full of praise for Tomljanovic after the intense match.
“It’s the ultimate test,” Barty said. “Angie’s had success here before. I love that match-up. She knows her way around this court and I know I need to play well to give myself a chance in that match.
“This is a dream come true.”
Tomljanovic has unfortunately never made it past the round of 16 at a grand slam.
“The match-up felt really bad from my side,” Tomljanovic said. “Felt like she was neutralising my serve with the slice, which kind of set the tone for me and made me really uncomfortable because it was hard to break her.
“She was serving great, and the slice was just really hard to deal with today.”
Barty was still full of praise for her competitor.
“Ajla is an incredible competitor. I’ve practised with her a lot, played with her as Fed Cup teammates. She was always going to bring out the very best in me,” Barty said.
“I had to play my absolute best to be able to compete with her. She’s had an incredible fortnight and I think all Aussies back home are bloody proud of her. It was really nice to share the court with her today.”
