Ash Barty was still all smiles after losing a thrilling Madrid Open final to Aryna Sabalenka, “proud” of how she had battled before finally succumbing to a powerhouse who may soon be challenging her world No 1 spot. “You can’t win ’em all,” shrugged a phlegmatic Barty after running into an inspired opponent who stopped her annexing her fourth title of the year. “I think whenever you have an opportunity to leave the tournament with a smile, that’s always a good thing. In an extraordinary opening salvo, she totally overwhelmed Barty, who surrendered a “bagel” set for the first time in four years. She takes the ball out of my court, essentially takes the racquet out of my hand when she serves the way she did in the first set,” shrugged Barty.

Source: The Guardian May 08, 2021 22:41 UTC