"It's about not giving up" - Barty on her approach at Miami Open

It is all but an easy ride for the defending champion at the Miami Open where she had to play three sets once more but doing so in style and winning in the end.

It was a very hard 4th round match for world number one Ashleigh Barty against Victoria Azarenka. It was a proper fight from the start and speaking after the match Barty knew it was going to be like that:

"Playing against Vika you have to be ready right from the first point. I felt like I did that well in the first set and she gave me a few cheap errors. Then through the second she lifted her intensity. I probably wasn't sharp enough in those first couple of games to be able to go with her, particularly with new balls. When Vika is ahead and she's a front runner, she's the very best in the world."

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Azarenka came back to win the 2nd set forcing a deciding third. Barty who admitted that she did not like rollercoaster matches had this to say:

"The first two sets probably had some pretty big momentum swings, but I think the third set was a real tussle. Particularly through that middle part, those games in the third set turned out to be pivotal, but it was just about staying the course and over time trying to execute my game plan as best I can."

This was a 17th victory for Barty out of 20 3-set matches played and it shows her mental fortitude. Asked about her mentality in those situations she said:

"It's about not relenting, not giving up, regardless of whether you lose a set or you're down a break."

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The defending champ continues 🔛 @ashbarty defeats Azarenka, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. #MiamiOpen

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