MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World number one Ash Barty launched her Australian Open campaign with a 6-0 6-1 demolition of Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko on Monday.
The home hero has been in rollicking form this season, capturing the Adelaide International title in the leadup, and carried it into her twilight match against the hapless Tsurenko at Rod Laver Arena.
Barty squandered two match points that would have handed Tsurenko the dreaded double-bagel and another two as she served for the match, but the Australian finally sealed it with a booming serve down the ‘T’.
Barty will play Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti for a place in the third round.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
