Barty overcomes Watson in hard-fought match in Cincinnati

Barty and Watson were supposed to play yesterday but rain pushed that match to today. Barty did speak to the media saying that she did not feel entirely comfortable on the court yet so getting an additional day was beneficial. The start of the match indicated that Barty's comfort level was good enough.

She took an early 3-0 lead but failed to hold onto it as her opponent found her rhythm. Watson was able to pull it back to 3-3 however lost her serve in the next game to give Barty another lead. This time around the Aussie held on to it to capture the first set with 6-4.

The 2nd set was a proper battle between the two players as Watson was able to match Barty's level. Barty was able to hold her serve without much fuss as Watson did not generate too much pressure. The British player did have to save several break points but she did so successfully.

Because of that, we ended up in a tiebreak. Barty established herself early with a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Watson was able to win three points total but the Australian player won the match 6-4 7-6(3). A good win for Barty who will see an increase in her confidence after that showing.