World No.1 Ash Barty will head to Melbourne to finalise her preparations for the Australian Open, following her last-minute withdrawal from the Sydney Tennis Classic.
The Australian was the top seed for the event, but following her win in Adelaide she’s elected to take the week off prior to the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.
Barty won both the singles and doubles tournaments in Adelaide, downing Elena Rybakina in the singles to claim her 14th career title, and also teamed up with fellow Australian Storm Sanders to win the doubles.
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It was the perfect tune-up for the Australian Open, with wins over Rybakina (ranked 14 in the world), Iga Swiatek (9), Sofia Kenin (12) and Coco Gauff (22).
Barty’s win over Swiatek means she has won 13 of her last 15 matches against top-10 ranked opponents.
The 25-year-old heads to Melbourne seeking to become the first local player since Chris O’Neill in 1978 to win the Australian Open.
Barty made the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, bookending a semi-final appearance in 2020.
The reigning Wimbledon champion will be the top seed for the Open, with the draw to be conducted later this week.
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