AUSTRALIA’S Barty Party continued on Rod Laver Arena today when world number one, Ash Barty downed future star of the WTA Tour, Elena Rybakina. The 23-year-old defeated her 20-year-old opponent 6-2 6-3, breaking the Kazakhstani talent five times during the match. She hit 28 winners and only 16 unforced errors, and while her first two service games were shaky – broken twice – Barty steadied to look too strong for the remainder of the match. Rybakina had her chances, but could not consistently get it done, going down in an hour and 18 minutes.

A hush fell over the crowd in the opening game as the 29th seed broke the world number one to love. Barty returned the favour with a strong return game, getting to 0-40 before the first point on serve was won by the Kazakhstani. The Aussie fan-favourite still capitalised on her second opportunity to break back, but as Rybakina was about to show, she was not overawed in her first appearance on Rod Laver Arena. She broke back after having two chances with Barty looking strong early winning the first two points, before becoming a little predictable running her opponent to either side of the court. Rybakina came up with three superb winners in the next four points to break, with a powerful backhand winner, strong forehand return and centimetre-perfect backhand drop shot.

Rybakina started the fourth game with an ace, and had the first game point of the day, but soon Barty fought her way back into the contest. She earned a couple of break points, and some unforced errors from her opponent and a deep shot to the forehand court earned a forced error into the net and yet a fourth consecutive break of serve. The Australian showed that Rybakina was not the only one with some tricks in her arsenal, producing a neat forehand dropshot in the fifth game to go 30-0 up. A couple of strong serves later and Barty held serve for the first time in the match, 19 minutes into the contest.

The sixth game opened with another Rybakina drop shot and an uncharacteristic Barty mistake as Rybakina’s versatility on court was showing, producing a serve-volley and then engaging in a powerful baseline rally. The momentum was starting to work more into Barty’s favour, with a fifth break point and then conversion after Rybakina missed an overhead smash, misdirected a volley straight back to the world number one, then missed the repeat volley at the net. A perfect service game to love from Barty, with an ace on the final point saw the world number one move to 5-2.

The world number one was well and truly ‘on’, having settled into the match after dropping her first two serves, bringing up set point 30 minutes into the match. Rybakina was not willing to just hand her opponent the set though, forcing an error then winning the next two points courtesy of a forehand winner and ace to hold serve and put the pressure back on Barty to serve out the set. Another couple of terrific approaches resulted in well-timed vollies for the Australian and with a huge forehand winner, the Australian took out the first set in 33 minutes, 6-3.

The second set started much like the first, with the server under pressure as Barty’s forehands were becoming a real problem for Rybakina, setting up another couple of break points at 15-40. The 29th seed showed she has an equally damaging forehand, particularly off the return to save one point, but then another well-timed serve from the Australian resulted in yet another break and Rybakina was immediately on the back foot once again. With a game point at 40-30, there was a baseline shot from Rybakina that looked long which saw the world number one hesitate but chose not to challenge, it threw her off a little as her opponent hit a winner a point later to remain in the game.

Two points later and Rybakina brought up her fourth break point with a second winner, but Barty saved it. The next shot that went close to the line on the same side Barty challenged but it was right on the backhand baseline tee. The pair traded blows over the next five minutes as Rybakina’s ability to hit a return winner off either side was remarkable, but Barty was holding on by forcing the Kazakhstani player down low on her backhand side making it difficult for her to hit a winner. After some nervous moments, the Australian held serve and went 2-0 up in the second set.

Rybakina served the first double fault of the contest in the third game as the danger signs were there if she was to be broken. She pulled out an unbelievable overhead smash from the baseline with angle to gain her confidence back. Barty was going into overdrive with her slices to the backhand side, but Rybakina was holding firm, forcing Barty into going for an unrealistic topspin winner. In an unusual point, a ball from Rybakina was long and the linesperson was late on the call. It prompted Barty to put her hand up to challenge, only for Rybakina to do the same once the correct call was made. The replay showed it was clearly out. Luckily for the 29th seed, she managed to hold serve two points later.

Despite the hold, it seemed like the Barty Party was about to kick off with the Australian pulling out a dream drop shot that earned ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd. She held to love which was a relief for the home crowd having been put through the 10-minute ordeal in the world number one’s last service game. After going 30-0 up herself in the fifth game of the set, Rybakina looked to do the same, but Barty had other ideas. Four consecutive points to the Australian, including a confidence-breaking double fault on break point and all of a sudden it was 4-1 and Barty was two games away from a Round of 16 spot.

Rybakina was not going to just give up the match easily however, hitting another sweet forehand winner with angle, and then read Barty’s approach perfectly on the fourth point in the game to hit a passing winner with her damaging two-handed backhand to bring up break point. But there is a reason Barty is the world number one, an ace and an overhead smash at the net saved both break point opportunities, with the Australian knowing the importance of not giving up momentum. Rybakina created another break point opportunity but again a Barty forehand winner put that chance to bed, before forcing an error and another forehand winner sealed the game and she was just one game away from victory.

Much like the first set, Rybakina forced Barty to serve out the match, holding for just the third time in the Round 3 match, but not without a perfectly timed cross-court backhand winner, powerful passing shot and well-timed lob from the world number one. Rybakina put an exclamation mark on her ability with a nice cross-court powerful forehand right into the corner to hold the game.

If the Australian crowd thought Rybakina would just throw in the towel, then they were sorely mistaken. The Kazakhstani had yet another brilliant return winner as her forehands when well-timed were a thing of beauty. A break point in what would have been an anti-climatic result, and then two points later the first match point came up, and the Australian took it, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.