"Brilliant match" - Barty on her win over Sabalenka

Ashleigh Barty is in the Miami Open semifinals after a strong victory over Aryna Sabalenka and after the match, the Australian was more than pleased.

The two-hour and 25-minute affair was a lengthy one that saw Ashleigh Barty come out on top over Aryna Sabalenka. The end result was 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3, and after the match, Barty said:

“It was a brilliant match today. It was certainly the best level I’ve played for a long time and especially over a sustained period.”

The World number one has now won 10 straight matches at the Miami Open dating back to 2019 when it was last held. This was a crucial event for Barty as she needed to make the final if she wanted to keep the number one spot.

Barty also had high praise for her opponent saying that she needed to bring her best today in order to beat her:

“Aryna really made me bring out my best stuff today. She’s an exceptional competitor and someone who I respect so much on the court. She’s just got the game to make you really uncomfortable so it was about trying to hang in there as best I could today.”

This victory means a lot to Barty who admitted recently she is not playing her best tennis right now. She also spoke about how she loves coming to Miami:

“It’s always nice to come back somewhere where you’ve had good memories. This was one of my favorite weeks in my career a couple of years ago. It’s where I broke into the top 10 for the first time. Yeah, it’s a tournament that I just love coming back to.”