2022 Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty reaches quarter-finals
Women's world number one tennis player Ashleigh Barty has reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 Australian Open on Sunday. Barty dispatched Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets. With this win, Barty has maintained her unbeaten run in 2022, going unbroken for her seventh consecutive match. Once again, Barty showed her composure and eked out a superb win to end Anisimova's journey.
Barty fired seven aces and made three double faults. She had a 78% win on the first serve and 60% on the second serve, faring better than her opponent. She won a total of 71 points. Barty has lost 15 games in her four matches this year at AO. She is through to the last eight after extending her unbeaten record this year (8-0).
Anisimova, who had stunned defending champion Naomi Osaka after saving two match points in the previous round, has seen her eight-match winning run come to an end. By beating Osaka, it was her seventh Top 20 win of her career and the first since she beat Alison Riske in the second round of the 2020 US Open.
Barty has improved her head-to-head meeting against Anisimova to 2-0. Earlier, she had enjoyed a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 win over Anisimova at Roland Garros in 2019. Barty, who saw her 63 consecutive service holds get broken by Anisimova, is aiming to become the first home women's champion at the Australian Open since Chris O'Neil in 1978.
Barty has now reached the quarters of Australian Open for the fourth successive year. Her best result here is a semi-final appearance in 2020. She now has a 21-8 win-loss record at the Australian Open. Overall, she has a win-loss record of 54-24 at Slams.
Barty will face Jessica Pegula in the quarters. Pegula reached the last eight after defeating fifth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in straight sets 7-6(0), 6-3. After denying Sakkari the chance to become the first Greek woman player to reach quarters of the Australian Open, Pegula termed the contest as her "best match of the year."
