"I wish we could play the whole year on grass" - Ashleigh Barty after her Wimbledon 2r win over Anna Blinkova
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty booked her place in the third round of Wimbledon 2021 with a straight-sets victory over Russia's Anna Blinkova on Thursday.
Barty, who was forced to retire early at the French Open due to a hip injury, was in her element during her second-round match against Blinkova. She broke the World No. 89 six times en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
In her post-match press conference the Aussie claimed that she feels at home on grass, while expressing her wish for more grasscourt tournaments on the main circuit.
"This is a beautiful court. I feel that grasscourt tennis is where it's at. I wish we could play the whole year on it," Ashleigh Barty said. "It's a traditional surface, I just love it and I certainly enjoyed being back out here today."
Ashleigh Barty then heaped praise on her opponent Anna Blinkova, insisting that she and her team had to do "a lot of homework" while figuring out their strategy against the young Russian.
"We had to do a lot of homework to try and work out how we were going to figure out her game and how we matched up, but she [Blinkova] played a great match today," Barty said.
Barty also pointed out how Blinkova was able to run her close in the dying moments of the match. The Russian had four break point opportunities at 3-4, but she failed to capitalize. Barty held on before breaking once again a few minutes later to clinch the victory.
"Really, there were a few points here and there and it could have been a different story, so I'm happy to be able to get through and get another opportunity to play," Barty said.
"I think for all the players and the fans, it is certainly nice to have you guys in the stands" - Ashleigh Barty on fans at Wimbledon
In her on-court interview after the match, Ashleigh Barty revealed how happy she was to play in front of packed crowds at SW19. She also asserted that the experience at the grass-court Slam was nothing without its audience.
"It's been a great year so far," Barty said. "I think for all the players and the fans, it is certainly nice to have you guys in the stands. I think Wimbledon wouldn't quite be the same without you, so it's nice to have you here."
Ashleigh Barty will next face World No. 64 Katerina Siniakova for a spot in the second week of Wimbledon. If she wins, the Aussie could then face reigning Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round.
It is pertinent to note that Barty's career-best result at Wimbledon came in 2019, when she reached the fourth round on the back of a 15-match winning streak. The Aussie's run, however, came to an unceremonious end as she was beaten in three sets by Alison Riske.