World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty beats Barbora Krejcikova to reach semis in Cincinnati
World number one Ashleigh Barty recovered after a break in the second set, beating Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-4 and reaching the semifinals of the WTA and ATP in Cincinnati on Friday.
Barty will face two-time Cincinnati finalist Angelique Kerber, who won her quarterfinal when two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova retired during the second set because of a stomach problem. Kerber won the first set 6-4 and was tied 3-3 in the second.
Barty beat Kerber in the Wimbledon semifinals in July. They have split their six matches.
“She’s one the best competitors in the world,” Barty said. “Angie’s never far off her best. Even on days where she’s not playing her best tennis, she finds a way to stay in matches. When you play against Angie, you ride a fine line of not pressing too much, but also not being too defensive where she can move you around the court.”
Barty, ranked No. 1 for 87 weeks, hasn’t lost a set this week in Cincinnati, a tune-up event for the U.S. Open.
“This is actually why I’m here, to have a lot of good matches against the best players before going to the US Open,” Kerber said. “I’m excited to playing against Ash again.
Barty’s biggest challenge so far this week came from Heather Watson in the second round. Barty has since dispatched Victoria Azarenka and Krejcikova in straight sets.
The Australian was not deterred by the extreme heat and humidity in the morning’s first match at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
