[8] Ashleigh Barty (AUS) will play teenager, [38] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE). There were almost two teenagers in the final at Roland Garros; [51] Amanda Anisimova (USA) won the first set and had a 3-1 lead in the second set before the wheels came off. If you ever doubt that pressure can affect your game, watch the replay of this match. Perhaps there was a forewarning in the previous round that this would happen; however, credit Barty for maintaining her belief and fighting off the onslaught from the American teen. Barty simply stuck to her game plan and experience gave her the edge when her opponent started to falter mentally.
BARTY PLOWS THROUGH AMERICAN ROAD BLOCK
Of the six opponents that Barty defeated to get to the final, five were American. She lost two sets to date: one was to Sofia Kenin (USA) in the fourth round; and the other was against today’s opponent.
Vondrousova, like Barty will also be contesting her first major final. Unlike Barty the Czech teenager still has not dropped a set in the tournament. The odds favor the Australian, who has won both previous encounters. However, Vondrousova has proven that she is ready to step up to the challenge. She had lost all four previous encounters against Petra Martic and was able to defeat her in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
BARTY’S FINAL OBSTACLE
All the pressure will be on Barty’s shoulders as she is the top ten player and the one with more experience in major finals. Barty has been to every major final in doubles and won the US Open doubles title in 2018 with American Coco Vandeweghe.
However, as we have seen so often over the years, matches are not played on paper and many variables come into play on the day of the match. These variables play an even more significant role when a major title is at stake; therefore, expect a battle!
SOURCE OF IMAGES: Zimbio.com (Getty Images Europe)
