MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World number one Ash Barty overcame a stumbling start to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova at an empty Margaret Court Arena on Saturday. Barty was all over Alexandrova's serve from the start, but some of her shot selection was questionable as she tried to finish off points, particularly some ill-judged lobs. Barty said she had been happy with how effective her slice backhand had been, although she conceded that she possibly went to it too often. "I've never played with her before and never hit with her before," she said of her opponent. Barty, who is looking to become the first homegrown Australian Open singles champion since 1978, will play American Shelby Rogers for a place in the quarter-finals.

Source: The Star February 13, 2021 10:05 UTC