Barty advances to semis of Adelaide International

Melbourne: Top-ranked Ash Barty has advanced to the Adelaide International WTA womens singles semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin while Rafael Nadal advanced via a walkover in tune-up tournaments ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam event. Barty used her usual backhand slice and powerful forehand drive but […]

Melbourne: Top-ranked Ash Barty has advanced to the Adelaide International WTA womens singles semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin while Rafael Nadal advanced via a walkover in tune-up tournaments ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam event.

Barty used her usual backhand slice and powerful forehand drive but also set down 17 aces and won 31 of 32 points on her first serve to advance Friday. Barty lost to Kenin in the Australian Open semifinals at Melbourne Park two years ago.

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On Wednesday, Barty beat Coco Gauff in three sets in her season opener after almost four months since her last competitive outing.

Barty next plays either two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka or Iga Swiatek on Saturday. In earlier results at Adelaide, seventh-seeded Elena Rybakina beat Shelby Rogers 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals.

Nadal, the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion, advanced without taking the court when his Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor withdrew.

Officials didn’t initially confirm why Griekspoor couldn’t play. It was only one day after Nadal played and won his first competitive match in five months, beating Ricardas Berankis in straight sets.

Nadal will play unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori on Saturday for a place in the final. Ruusuvuori earlier beat Alex Molcan 6-2, 6-1.

In other men’s play Friday, Marin Cilic and top-seeded Gael Monfils won their quarterfinals at the Adelaide International. Cilic beat Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-2 and Monfils defeated sixth-seeded Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-1.

Second-seeded Simona Halep advanced to the semifinals of the Summer Set 1 tune-up event in Melbourne with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Viktorija Golubic. Zheng Qinwen also advanced after beating Ana Konjuh 7-6 (1), 7-6 (6).

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