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Barty pulls out Sydney event, heads straight to Melbourne

Posted January 10, 2022 6:00 am

By DENNIS PASSA

Ash Barty of Australia celebrates victory with the trophy after winning over Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final of the the Adelaide International Tennis Tournament, in Adelaide, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (Matt Turner/AAP Image via AP) The Associated Press

After winning both the singles and doubles titles at the Adelaide International, top-ranked Ash Barty has decided she doesn't need any more tournament action before the Australian Open.

Barty announced Monday that she'd travel directly from Adelaide to Melbourne Park and skip the Sydney Tennis Classic.

Geographically, that makes sense -- it's much easier to get directly from Adelaide to Melbourne. But from a career standpoint, having a week off to fine-tune ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year is more important.

'œIt's been an extraordinary week. We've been able to play lots of matches in singles and doubles,'ť Barty said Monday. 'œWe've had plenty of court time, which is great."

The 25-year-old Barty has two Grand Slam singles titles - the 2019 French Open and last year's Wimbledon - but she dearly wants to win a major on home soil.

No Australian woman has won the title since Chris O'Neill in 1978. That's a 44-year drought, and one that Barty hears about all the time.

Her best finish at Melbourne Park was in 2020, when she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Sofia Kenin. She reached the quarterfinals last year.

On Sunday, Barty won the Adelaide International singles title for the second time in three years, 6-3, 6-2 over Elena Rybakina. She won the doubles with her Billie Jean King Cup teammate Storm Sanders.

It was Barty's first tournament since losing in the third round at the U.S. Open in September to American Shelby Rogers. But she hardly looked rusty in Adelaide, beating Coco Gauff, Kenin and 2020 French Open winner Iga Swiatek en route to the title.

'œI feel good leading up to an Australian Open,'ť said Barty, who has been a prolific winner on the women's tour since the start of 2019, winning 11 of the 32 tournaments she has contested.

There are joint ATP-WTA tournaments this week in Adelaide and Sydney ahead of the Australian Open, which begins next Monday.

There were six tournaments decided on Sunday, with Canada winning the ATP Cup team event in the final over Spain.

Elsewhere, top-seeded Rafael Nadal beat American Maxime Cressy, 7-6 (6), 6-3 at Melbourne and another American, Amanda Anisimova, beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to win her second WTA title.

Second-seeded Simona Halep beat Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-3 to win the WTA 500 event in Melbourne. In the Adelaide International men's final, Gael Monfils beat Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-4.

On Monday, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Arantxa Rus 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 at the Sydney tournament.

At the Adelaide International 2 tournament, Australian qualifier Alexsandar Vukic beat sixth-seeded Alexander Bublik 7-6 (5), 6-2.

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Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to winning the 1st set during his singles match against Maxime Cressy of the United States during the men's final of the Summer Set tournament ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) The Associated Press

Team Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, left, and teammate Denis Shapovalov celebrate their win over Team Spain in the ATP Cup final in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP) The Associated Press

Amanda Anisimova of the United States holds the winner's trophy after her singles match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus during the women's final of the Summer Set 2 tournament ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) The Associated Press

Simona Halep of Romania holds the winner's trophy after her singles match against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia during the women's final of the Summer Set 1 tournament ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) The Associated Press

Simona Halep of Romania, left, holds the winner's trophy after her singles match against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, right, during the women's final of the Summer Set 1 tournament ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) The Associated Press

Ash Barty of Australia chases down the ball for a return to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final of the the Adelaide International Tennis Tournament, in Adelaide, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. Top-ranked Barty has won her second Adelaide International title in three years with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Elena Rybakina on Sunday. (Matt Turner/AAP Image via AP) The Associated Press

Simona Halep of Romania reacts to winning the match during her singles match against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia during the women's final of the Summer Set 1 tournament ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) The Associated Press

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