Melbourne: Top-ranked Ash Barty has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova.
Barty is aiming to be the first Australian woman to win her home Grand Slam title since 1978 and has gone through the first four rounds without dropping a set. She’s into the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park for the fourth straight year.
Anisimova was coming off a third-round upset over defending champion Naomi Osaka, when she saved two match points.
She broke Barty’s opening service game of the second set — a first for the tournament — but the two-time major winner responded by breaking back and taking six of the last seven games.
Barty beat Anisimova in the semifinals of the French Open in 2019 on the way to winning her first Grand Slam title.
Asked if it’s a good omen, Barty said “Let’s wait and see.”
Barty will next play No. 21-seeded Jessica Pegula, who beat fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari 7-6 (0), 6-3.
