Australia's Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik on Barty's US Open chances: "I don't think any other player is close"

Australia's Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik knows Ashleigh Barty very well and what she is capable of and believes she is well ahead of the rest at the moment.

Molik discussed Osaka and her current form and how compared to Barty, she doesn't look comfortable at the moment.

“I’m not quite sure Osaka has been able to prove she can play at a high level, consistently, throughout every tournament since she came back in the last couple of months,” Molik said to the Herald and The Age.

“When Osaka has her best success, she blows people off the court with some really convincing wins. We’re seeing less and less of those.

“Her confidence has dipped a bit and I think you see that throughout her matches. She looks a little more vulnerable against a wider array of plays.

“Her last tournament and her last press conference, you could still see that she’s not quite comfortable being out on tour. There is obviously still a bit going on that she’s working through and good on her that she is playing, I think it’s pretty brave."

While Molik believes that Barty's Western & Southern Open win could be a precursor to US Open glory with only Aryna Sabalenka or Angelique Kerber potentially touted as players who could get near.

“The way Ash plays, she enjoys playing against someone who hits pretty big. She’s probably the best at feeding off pace. If you revert to Ash’s results this year, I would have to say that she definitely has the upper hand.”

“I think she will have her best result at this US Open, and she’s really geared up for it, too. She showed at Cincinnati, right? Not dropping a set and winning the event. That’s a huge boost.

“I don’t think any other player is close to her form. Maybe you can throw Sabalenka in there, she’s been playing some great tennis.

“Kerber has been a bit of a surprise card but Ash is a real standout.”