Australian Open: Barty beats Sharapova, sets up QF clash with Kvitova

outlasted 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, in a two-hour 22-minutes long fourth round on Sunday to move into the quarter-finals of the 2019 Australian Open. Beginning the match, Sharapova, with her brimming confidence, took the first set.

However, things changed quickly for the Russian, who was able to win only one game in the second. The third set, too, saw Barty race ahead with a quick double break to lead 4-0 in the set. However, Sharapova broke back Barty once to reduce the gap on a one-break deficit.

Barty felt the pressure as she served for the match and from quickly having two match points, the scoreboard reached deuce. One more match point came and went, thanks to Bartys error but on her fourth match point, Barty sealed the win with an ace.

This is the first time Barty has reached the quarter-final of a Major in singles and as such, this is her best result at the Major in singles. The Australian will play eighth seed in the quarter-final.

The Czech beat American teenager in a pretty straightforward match 6-2, 6-1. Kvitova finished the 59-minute match with 18 winners to Anisimovas eight and had 15 unforced errors to her opponents 20.

She won a total of 61 points to Anisimovas 36. Barty and Kvitova have played each other thrice before, with the Czech winning all their three previous match-ups. Most recently, the two played each other in the final of the Sydney International in January, before the Australian Open.

Kvitova bounced back from losing the opening set in that match to clinch the title over her younger opponent. Photo Credit: Ben Solomon (Tennis Australia)