Ash Barty has managed to pull through to the third round at Wimbledon, overcoming nine double-faults and a bad line call on match point to win 6-4, 6-3 against Anna Blinkova.
Barty’s forehand was called out on her second match point, only for a replay to show it had clipped the line instead. With the point replayed, Barty was able to clinch her win when Blinkova hit a shot long.
But the tennis legend struggled for the win, having to overcome an uncharacteristically unreliable serve. Though she committed nine double-faults, including three in the first game, and was broken three times, she was able to hit 33 winners compared to Blinkova’s 12.
“There were a few things that didn’t feel quite right today,” Barty said in her post-match press conference.
“But I felt when my back was against the wall I was able to bring the good stuff, it just wasn’t quite there all the time,” she explained.
“It was not my best serving day. But that happens. I was just out of rhythm a little bit. A few technical things weren’t quite feeling spot on. You have those days where you feel like you’re eight-foot tall and can’t miss the box and other days like today you feel like you’re three-foot-nothing and just getting over the net is a battle.
“It’s certainly nothing that will concern me. We will just go back to our routines like we usually would and try and find a way in the next match.”
Tennis star Todd Woodbridge had plenty to say about Barty’s performance, calling it “sloppy” and suggesting she was “nervous”. He said her form was “all over the place” and that she had “work to do” ahead of her next match against KateÅ™ina Siniaková.
“I’m a bit perplexed of the inconsistency here from Barty,” Woodbridge said in commentary on Nine.
“Her timing is not there. She looks rushed.”
If Barty can secure two more wins, she will become a Wimbledon quarter finalist for the first time in her career.
Image: Ash Barty / Instagram
