Adelaide International 2020| Ashleigh Barty vs Dayana Yastremska final: Preview, head-to-head, match schedule and more
It has not been a very easy week for World No.1 Ashleigh Barty at the Adelaide International. Out of the three matches she has played at this WTA Premier event, two went the distance.
But again that is what further underlines the Australian's hunger, fighting spirit and resilience.
Barty's start to 2020 wasn't exactly a memorable one last week. She slumped to a shocking defeat in the opening round at the hands of a qualifier. The French Open champion got a second chance to turn things around in Adelaide before heading to the year's first Major.
The WTA Finals winner was put to a stern test by Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her very first match. It helped to bring out the champion in Barty as she came storming back from a set down to complete a gritty 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win.
In a rematch of their 2019 French Open final, Barty and World No. 16 Marketa Vondrousova locked horns once again. Barty did not need to exert much of an effort in what was an absolutely dominating display by her, resulting in a commanding 6-3, 6-3 win. While that definitely boosted her confidence level, the semi-final turned out to be yet another dogfight.
Danielle Collins turned out to be a pretty feisty opponent and gave Barty quite a hard time. The 23-year-old Australian lost the first set but managed to breeze through the second before the two played an enthralling tie-break where the numero uno player held her nerves to snatch the win.
Only one opponent now remains between Barty and Adelaide glory - World No. 24 Dayana Yastremska. The two have met only once before at the 2019 Miami Open, where Barty cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win.
The 19-year-old is yet to drop a set this week and her best performance was in the semifinals against the sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka. A 6-4, 7-6(4) triumph over the Belarusian, who was just coming off an upset win over the Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, showed the Ukrainian's courage and self-belief.
Buoyed by that win, Yastremska would naturally want to continue in that vein but Barty might prove to be too solid and mentally too tough for the teen to deal with.
Highlights from Barty's win over Collins in the semi-final:
Here's all you need to know about Adelaide International 2020
Tournament: Adelaide International 2020
Category: WTA Premier
City: Adelaide, Australia
Prize money: $848, 000
Match schedule: (1) Ashleigh Barty vs Dayana Yastremska at 11 am IST, on 18 January 2020
Head-to-head: Barty leads 1-0