MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World primary Ash Barty launched her Australian Open marketing campaign with a 6-0 6-1 demolition of Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko on Monday.
The house hero has been in rollicking type this season, capturing the Adelaide International title within the leadup, and carried it into her twilight match towards the hapless Tsurenko at Rod Laver Arena.
Barty squandered two match factors that will have handed Tsurenko the dreaded double-bagel and one other two as she served for the match, however the Australian lastly sealed it with a booming serve down the ‘T’.
Barty will play Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti for a spot within the third round.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
