By Ricky Dimon
Heading into Birmingham, Ashleigh Barty knew that she had to win the tournament if she wanted to become world No. 1 before Wimbledon.
Mission: accomplished.
Barty captured the title at the Nature Valley Classic by beating Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-5 in the final on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old struck nine aces while double-faulting only once and she broke Goerges three times to triumph after one hour and 28 minutes.
“It’s a dream come true to be the World No.1,” Barty assured. “My team and I have put in so much work and I’m very proud of what we have achieved. It’s an honour to be in this position, which has been held by the legends of our sport who I respect and admire greatly.”
“Ash and I have been together from day one of her tennis comeback and I have loved every minute of our partnership–the successful moments, the challenges, and everything in between,” said her coach, Craig Tyzzer. “Over the last three years, Ash has grown as a person and as a player. What has stayed constant is her genuine, humble and respectful nature. She is a truly impressive person and deserves every success that comes her way. I couldn’t be prouder to be her coach.”
“Ashleigh’s journey has been truly remarkable, from breaking into the top 100 only two years ago to now as a Grand Slam champion and the latest to hold the prestigious Chris Evert WTA World No.1 Trophy,” noted CEO and chairman “I am confident that we are witnessing a true champion in the making whose accomplishments are only beginning.“
Well, there’s actually no doubt about it.
Barty just recently won the French Open. She also lifted the trophy in Miami. Combined with her seven victories at Roland Garros, the Australian is now on a 12-match winning streak.
Not bad for a cricket player!
That’s right, Barty used to play professional cricket. She briefly stepped away from tennis as a teenager, burned out from spending so much time in the sport during her formative years. Ironically, Andy Murray also called it temporary quits only to return this week at Queen’s Club and win the doubles title with Feliciano Lopez.
Yes, it was a good week for players who were once unofficially retired.
Basically, it was a good week for tennis.