Barty Rolls Past Rybakina For Adelaide Title, Cements Favorite Australian Open Favorite Status

Ash Barty rolled to her third title in her homeland, upended Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-2 to take the Adelaide 500 title.

Barty, who later won the doubles as well, was tight with the Kazakh early on, until she pulled away at 3-all saving break chances and then winning seven straight games to seize control.

“We’ve obviously had a brilliant week, been able to work progressively through each match,” Barty said after the match. “I got better and better. I felt like today there were really a few key moments early in the first set to gain momentum. I was really happy to be able to get a couple of early breaks in the second and run away with it.”

Barty collects her 14th career WTA title and improves to 21-3 in her last last in Australia. She’s also 17-1 against Top 20 players in her last 18. And after a very solid week with wins over Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, Iga Swiatek and now Rybakina, she’ll head to Melbourne as the women’s favorite to win the title.

“I feel good leading up to an Australian Open like I have every year,” she said. “Each and every preparation is unique, each and every preparation is different. So we take it for what comes and what it is, move on, try and do the best that we can in every opportunity, whether that’s here in Adelaide or it’s in Melbourne.

“It has absolutely no effect on the way that I prepare or the way I’m thinking leading forward just because it’s a Grand Slam. Doesn’t change for us. We look forward, we do what we can, then we see how we go.”

Barty lost to Karolina Muchova in the semifinals last year at the Australian Open, and to eventual winner Sofia Kenin in the 2020 quarterfinals.

Before Melbourne, Barty will now be the top seed in a loaded Sydney field.

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