Barty planting seeds for success

MELBOURNE • World No. 1 and home favourite Ashleigh Barty is happy with her game heading into the Australian Open after outfighting Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to win the Yarra Valley Classic warmup tournament yesterday.

The Australian, playing her first event for almost a year, was made to work hard for her second WTA title on home soil but had enough weapons to see off the two-time Grand Slam champion in a gripping contest.

"It was some of the better tennis I played throughout the whole week," Barty said. "Garbine forced me to play at that level. It was a great final and I'm happy with the progression of the level of tennis through the week."

Spain's Muguruza had conceded only 10 games in four matches on her way to the final but made errors under pressure - 40 over the contest - and was no match for the 2019 French Open champion in the clutch moments.

This title triumph for Barty will only fuel expectation that she can give Australia its first Major singles winner on home soil since Chris O'Neil in 1978.

The 24-year-old would only say she was excited and ready to go.

"I'm just trying to come out here and do the best that I can," she said. "I've done the preparation, I've eaten my Brussels sprouts, done everything to put myself in a position that I can go out there and perform at the best level I can."

A semi-finalist last year, she will have a day before opening her campaign against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in the first round on Rod Laver Arena tomorrow.

In the other WTA Tour 500 warmup event at Melbourne Park, Elise Mertens secured her sixth career title when she beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-1 to win the Gippsland Trophy.

The world No. 20 dominated her opponent, ranked 74 places below her. And the Belgian, who has won 27 of her last 34 matches, more than any other player since the Tour resumed in August, said her victory would give her a confidence boost.

In the ATP Cup, a relentless Russia team crushed Italy 2-0 to win their maiden title with world No. 4 Daniil Medvedev and eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev in hot form.

They were the only side in the 12-team event to boast two top-10 players and swept past Japan, Argentina and Germany en route to the decider, where Rublev destroyed Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2 before Medvedev overpowered Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-2.

ATP Finals champion Medvedev is on a career-best win streak of 14 matches, with 10 of those victories coming against top-10 opponents. Rublev has also been impressive, claiming five ATP titles in a breakthrough 2020, more than anyone else.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS