adminAshleigh Barty experienced mixed emotions as she became the first Australian to secure the year-end No 1 ranking by the simple act of stepping on to Centre Court at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen. She left wondering what on earth had gone wrong after squandering a set-and-break lead to lose 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the late replacement Kiki Bertens in a scrappy encounter.
“When you give a player of Kiki’s calibre a chance to get back into the match not once but twice, she’s going to make you pay,” Barty said.
“That’s probably the most disappointing thing. Twice in the second set I was up a break and wasn’t able to consolidate.”
It was supposed to be a battle between two of the most prominent players of 2019 but Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from the tournament and her match with Barty after aggravating a right shoulder injury during her victory over Petra Kvitova on Sunday.
It marked a bitter end to a turbulent season that was finishing on a high note after brilliant titles in Osaka and Beijing. In stepped Bertens, the 10th-ranked Dutchwoman who has been on a mission in the final months of this year. — Guardian.
Bongani Ndlovu