Barty Rallies To Beat Sabalenka For Stuttgart Title, Has Won 11 Straight On Red Clay

For the third straight match in Stuttgart, Ash Barty came from a set down to win, this time she did in the final against Aryna Sabalenka taking the title 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

“Tennis is a strange sport at times,” Barty told the press. “Even though you can be a set down, I didn’t feel I was very far off. I had a couple of break points and opportunities myself, you take one or two of those and it’s a completely different ball game.

“I think it’s important to just continue to work in the right direction, try to do right things and know that over time you hopefully get the result, and if you don’t, you just keep going for the next time, and I think that’s a massively important attitude to have.”

Barty, who just turned 25 on Saturday, has won won her last 11 red clay matches dating back to her 2019 French title, and collects her 11th career title. She’s also taken 10 straight against her fellow Top 10.

After a dropping the opening set, Barty went on a 9-game run sweeping the second then jumping out to 3-0 in the third.

Barty was two points from losing in a quarterfinal escape Friday against Karolina Pliskova and in the semifinals Elina Svitolina served for the match. She now has won 12 of her last 13 matches and her three titles are most on the WTA this season. It was not long ago many questioned her No. 1 ranking. After Miami and Stuttgart titles, she’s proven worthy.

“This week’s been phenomenal for me,” Barty added. “We’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches.

“And I’ve certainly felt like I’m taking my tennis to kind of a new level, in a sense of being able to be calm and play with freedom and play without consequence in a way, just going out there and try to bring my best every single point.”

Sabalenka, who was seeking a 9th career title and first on clay, falls to 0-2 against Top 10 players in title matches.

The Belarussian was besieged by 39 unforced errors and she finish just 2-of-10 on break chances.

Barty made it a sweep as she and Desirae Krawczyk won the doubles final beating Jen Brady and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

HIGHLIGHTS

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