Miami (AFP)
World No.1 and defending champion Ashleigh Barty qualified for the final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, beating World 5th Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Australian, winner of the last edition of the event in 2019, will seek a 10th title on the WTA circuit on Saturday in the final, against the Canadian Bianca Andreescu (9th world) or the Greek Maria Sakkari (25th world) opposites in the night session.
Faced with Svitolina, a feared opponent, who had beaten her six times in their previous seven confrontations, including once in this round of 16 2018 then played on the former site of Key Biscayne, Barty knew she would have still a lot to do.
So she was aggressive from the first exchanges of the first set, pocketed after a successful break from the start and a second to conclude it.
Whereupon, while nothing let it show on the court, the Australian requested a medical time out, without anyone really knowing why.
Before realizing that she was suffering from abdominal pain when a female doctor came to apply a patch to her after the 3rd game (2-1) of the second round.
Immediately after, the two players, particularly feverish about their commitment, exchanged pleasantries with three breaks, one more in favor of Barty, who only had to remain solid afterwards to conclude in 1:27.
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