Ashleigh Barty Wins Miami Open Title -

The Miami Open was an unpredictable tournament that saw many of the sport’s top seeded players exiting early, and it’s final continued in that direction awarding yet another champion, the tournaments 33rd.

As the final game played out, it was Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, a player known for attacking and strong serves who succeeded in being crowned champion. Barty served fifteen aces over the two set final to defeat Karolina Pliskova from the Czech Republic 7-6, 6-3 on Saturday.

The interesting side to the Miami Open is it remains to see a repeat champion in its 33 year history, and that applies not only to the women but also the men. Commenting on that, and the tournament, Barty said,

“Amazing, isn’t it?. On the women’s side, I think the level has evened out a lot, and the depth has grown over the last few years. Everyone in the draw has a legitimate chance of winning the tournament, and you try to make the most of it.”

The Aussie native, ranked 12th, won her biggest and fourth title in her career improving to 18-3 for the year. At only 22 years of age, her rank will now increase to ninth. She became the 14th different player in the WTA this year to win a title.

WTA

Barty’s skill offers a range of big shots and is not only effective but entertaining to watch. That repertoire kept Pliskova at bay allowing her to find open spots consistently. Commenting, Barty stated,

” I’ve always tried to bring as much variety to the court as possible. It’s about trying to neutralise what your opponent is doing. There was a phase in women’s tennis of big power and first strikers, but physicality in tennis has grown, which has allowed more players to neutralise the big first ball and work their way into the point.”

Barty possesses a strong serve, and that showed during the final. However, Pliskova and Barty had some extended volleys going 14 stokes at one point before Pliskova lost the point courtesy of a backhand by Barty. She also came out on top in multiple point breaks in the second set and shot three back-to-back aces to win the last eight points.

Pliskova defeated No. 2 ranked Simona Halep in the semifinals on Friday, stated that she was tired and that showed in the final. Her coach was overheard telling her to run, and Pliskova commented that,

“I was tired, super tired. If I felt a little bit more fresh, it could maybe be different.”

Barty, for her part, picked up on that and didn’t give Pliskova the opportunity to relax or catch her breath attacking at all fronts. One of those was an overhead return while she was backpedalling much to the delight of the crowd. Speaking on the sport in post-game interviews, Barty said,

“That’s why I love the sport. You have these amazing moments, and you have these heartbreaking moments. But the journey in the middle is pretty bloody good.”

In 2011, at the tender age of 15, Barty won the Wimbledon girls’ title but chose to exit the sport to focus on cricket instead before returning in 2016. Her first year back earned her success with an appearance in the finals in Syndey, which she lost. However, three weeks later, she played her first Grand slam going all the way to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.

The WTA next heads to Charleston, South Carolina for the Volvo Car Open and for punters interested in tennis betting with leading sportsbooks offering superior odds on the WTA and the ATP, the time is right as the schedule provides an excellent selection of tournaments to place bets on, let alone a wide range of top ranked players.