AUTRALIAN OPEN

Ashleigh Barty and Madison Keys’ careers could not be more diametrically opposite; yet, their passion for the sport is almost identical. Both have struggled to find comfort in the sport they love. One took a break from the sport to gain clarity, the other was forced to take a break because of injuries. Now both players are playing at their highest level because they have rediscovered their passion for the sport.

Will Home Court Advantage Help Ashleigh Barty?

Is home court advantage going to be the deciding factor that tips the scale in this match? Keys has been to the final of a major before, but let’s not rehash that. Barty brings an impressive resume of titles won, which includes two majors and the WTA Finals. Thus, she has the advantage there as well. She has also been a dominant number one. Yet, we know that all it takes on any given day is for a player to execute their game with conviction, and they can upset the favorite.

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Let’s not discount the immense pressure that’s on Barty’s shoulder playing at home. While it may inspire some to greatness like Andy Murray when he played at Wimbledon, home court advantage has toppled many. Barty won their most recent encounters and leads their head-to-head 2:1. Can we take anything from this stat? Not much, they are both much improved players today, so that stat is irrelevant. If anything, Keys needs to remember that she did beat her once, so that may help the American.

The Outcome Of The Other Matches

[6] Rafael Nadal almost had a colossal collapse. Leading two sets to none against [14] Denis Shapovalov, Nadal stumbled badly because he was feeling the heat. The memory of their first meeting still lingers and is probably still a sore point for Nadal. He won the first set and lost the match and it looked like history was about to repeat itself last night. Up two sets to none, the Spaniard’s game completely fell apart. Of course, nerves played a role along with the attack from the Canadian.

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Somehow, Nadal regrouped in the fifth set, but at what cost? He may have jeopardized his chances of winning his second Australian Open title by expending so much energy in this round. Nadal won 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3. His next opponent may be [7] Matteo Berrettini or [17] Gael Monfils. Nadal won his only encounter against the Italian two years ago. However, Berrettini has grown into his game and is quite confident he can defeat the big names. Nadal leads the head-to-head 14:2 against the Frenchman. Next for Nadal will be Berrettini, who also won a five-set battle. However, they both get two days to rehydrate and recover.

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