Miami (AFP)
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty retained her title at the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, beating Canada's Bianca Andreescu (8th in the world) who retired after injuring her right ankle when she was down 6-3, 4-0.
The 24-year-old Australian, winner of the last edition of the event in 2019, and almost absent from the courts last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, won her 10th victory on the women's circuit.
Barty got into the match very well, breaking from the start, thanks to a powerful and precise first ball.
But Andreescu did not wait long to catch up (3-2).
Again in danger on her service, she was able to erase two other break points but not the third.
A superb point, where after a lob returned from a somewhat short backhand volley, Barty punished her with a powerful cross backhand.
On which the Australian, still solid, retained this advantage to pocket the set 6-3.
And, from the start of the next, the seeded N.1 maintained the pressure, under which Andreescu cracked, losing his commitment on a double fault, then falling after his right ankle was blocked on a support, and conceding a second time his service.
After a medical time-out of a few minutes, during which she was bandaged, the Canadian tried to resume, but the pain was too much.
And the ascent to be made is certainly too great.
This success, facing an opponent she met for the first time and who also comes out of a blank year, therefore accredits Barty's return to the best level, in a tournament where she saved a match point and where she had a lot to lose.
Starting with her world No. 1 chair, coveted by Naomi Osaka, in the wake of her coronation in Melbourne.
But the Japanese was swept into the quarterfinals by Greece's Maria Sakkari, ensuring the Australian remained at the top of the WTA regardless of the outcome of her tournament.
That she also managed to win for the second time in a row.
© 2021 AFP