Ashleigh Barty affirms her return to the forefront in Miami

Ashleigh Barty as patron: the Australian, world number 1, retained her title at the Miami tournament, beating the Canadian Bianca Andreescu forced to retire, after injuring her right foot when she was down 6- 3, 4-0.

"I'm sorry you hurt yourself, I hope you get over it soon."

It was a privilege to face you, I hope that we will have other opportunities ”, reacted Barty during the presentation of the trophies.

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.

She 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, the Canadian, returned to the circuit in February after 15 months of absence due to persistent injuries, 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 1 maintained the pressure, under which Andreescu cracked, losing his engagement on a double fault, then falling after his right foot was blocked on a support, and conceding a second time his service.

Too much pain  

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 was meeting for the first time, validates Barty's return to the foreground, after a white year 2020, upset by the coronavirus pandemic, during which she did not want to leave her country. .

She therefore did not play the US Open, won by Osaka, nor Roland Garros, of which she was the title holder, the Polish Iga Swiatek succeeding her in the list.

Her return to school was average in February, at her home in Australia.

If she immediately won at the modest Yarra Valley Classic, she was then stopped by the Czech Karolina Muchova, in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open, first Grand Slam of the year.

Andreescu reborn too

It was after a long journey of almost fifty hours, from Brisbane to Sydney, then to reach Los Angeles then Miami, with two flights canceled on the way, that she landed her rackets in Florida, in a tournament where she had a lot to lose, starting with her world number 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 the tournament.

However, she did not fail to send a strong message by imposing her law.

For her, no immediate return to the country, given the fortnight imposed in Australia for anyone disembarking there, and given the start of the clay season.

“It's a perfect start to the year for us.

I hope it will be long and successful, ”commented Barty, who is expected to stay on the road at least until the US Open (August 30-September 12).

Bianca Andreescu, who is also coming out of a blank year between knee injury and pandemic, has also shown that she is starting to regain her level, which allowed her to glean the US Open in 2019. “It is not not the way I wanted to end here, but I reached the final for one of my first tournaments in a long time and couldn't be happier.

Getting back on my feet wasn't easy, but I kept believing in myself and never gave up, ”said the 20-year-old.  

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