Melbourne (AFP)

Two days before the Australian Open, the preparation tournaments were marked on Saturday by the qualification of world No.1 Ashleigh Barty and her predecessor on the throne Garbine Muguruza for the final of the Yarra Valley Classic.

But the day was also darkened by a cascade of forfeits among the women, including those of world No. 3 Naomi Osaka and the double winner of the Australian Open Victoria Azarenka.

- Barty-Muguruza, final of choice -

This is the poster for the matches scheduled for Sunday in Melbourne: Australian Ashleigh Barty, world No. 1, will challenge Spain's Garbine Muguruza on home soil in the final of the Yarra Valley Classic.

The latter, who was at the top of the women's rankings in 2017, crushed the Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-0.

Barty, who hadn't played for more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, obviously quickly got back into the mix and didn't sweat much in the semi-finals, benefiting from Serena's package Williams, hit in the shoulder.

At the Gippsland Trophy, the Belgian Elise Mertens also took advantage of the forfeit of a big name to offer herself a final against the Estonian Kaia Kanepi.

Touched like Williams in the shoulder, Naomi Osaka (N.3) withdrew out of "caution" for the Australian Open, but her participation in the Grand Slam is not called into question.

Kanepi dismissed Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 7-6 (6) and will play at 35 her first singles final since 2013.

Finally, faced with the overloaded program of players, the organizers of the Grampians Trophy decided on Saturday to cancel the final of this preparation tournament.

On Sunday in the semi-finals, Greece's Maria Sakkari faces Estonian Anett Kontaveit and American Jennifer Brady, her compatriot Ann Li.

- To the woes of the ladies -

The women's circuit infirmary continued to fill up on Saturday.

Besides Osaka and Williams, in search of a record 24th Grand Slam title in Melbourne, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, with a back injury, also gave up playing her quarter-final against Anett Kontaveit at the Grampians Trophy.

Azarenka had already been deprived of training during the quarantine following her arrival in Australia, due to cases of Covid-19 within her flight to the island-continent.

While the Williams and Osaka packages appear to be precautionary measures, there could be more concern for Simona Halep's form.

World No. 2 was dominated 6-2, 6-1 by Alexandrova in the quarter-final of the Gippsland Trophy, where she appeared hampered by a back injury.

The Romanian wore a back brace after seeking medical attention in the first set.

- Italy at the party for men -

The party is total for Italian tennis: after the qualification of Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini for the final of the ATP Cup, where Italy will challenge Russia, Jannik Sinner and Stefano Travaglia have qualified for a 100% transalpine final in the Great Ocean Road Open.

Sinner, one of the rising stars of world tennis, 36th in the world at 19, had to fight for more than 3 hours before getting rid of Russian Karen Khachanov (N. 20) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6 , 7-6 (7/4).

Previously, Travaglia (71st) had less difficulty defeating the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4, to win the right to be in the final of an ATP tournament for the first time in his career, at 29 years old.

French tennis was less happy on Saturday: Jérémy Chardy (N.66) and Corentin Moutet (N.80) were both beaten in the semi-final of the Murray River Open, respectively by the British Daniel Evans (6-2, 6-2) and the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-1, 6-2).

In the final, the 33rd and 21st players in the world will both try to win their first ATP title.

© 2021 AFP