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2019 champion Ashleigh Barty made a winning return to the scene of her greatest triumph as she battled to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory over World No. 70 Bernarda Pera in the first round of the 2021 Roland Garros on Tuesday.
Barty had to deal with not just a spirited opponent but also physical issues of her own and she left the court with plenty of doubts surrounding her fitness.
On that note, let's take a look at three things we learnt from Ashleigh Barty's hard-fought win over Bernarda Pera:
#1 Ashleigh Barty's fitness is still compromised
An arm injury had forced the Australian to pull out of Rome midway through her quarterfinals against Coco Gauff. Although Barty cited her arm problem as the reason for her retirement, it is important to note that she also had her left thigh strapped throughout the tournament.
On Tuesday, Barty once again played with her left thigh bandaged, and it appeared to severely compromise the 25-year-old's serve. The Aussie was forced to take the pace off her first serve, with her serve speed dropping to 145 kmph at one point in time.
Barty's usually brilliant athleticism was nowhere to be seen and she remained passive for much of the match. Her forehand looked tentative and she constantly missed the lines.
Barty managed to hit just 18 winners and coughed up 25 unforced errors, which is highly uncharacteristic for a player who relies on precision.
That Barty was struggling physically was evident when she took a medical timeout after the second set to receive treatment.
Barty later confirmed that a hip injury had flared up over the weekend. However, the Australian said she was confident she would still be able to compete over the rest of the tournament.
"It's going to be a little bit tough this week," Barty said. "I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip, which obviously just needed a bit of help today, needed some assistance to try and release it off as best I could."
"We know what we're doing. We're confident in that we can get my body to a point where I'm able to compete."
#2 Barty's determination stands out
The ability to rise above adversity is what separates champions from challengers and Barty showed that today.
After receiving treatment on her thigh after the second set, Barty found herself against the ropes early in the decider. Serving at 1-1, the Aussie was down two break points against a free-flowing Pera.
However, Barty managed to avert danger and hold serve, which sparked her into life once again. She raised her level and broke the American's serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.
Barty did not let up and closed out the match in exactly two hours.
Barty summed up her effort brilliantly in her on-court interview when she said: "You can't win a match if you give up."
Even when things were not going her way, the Aussie's determination and insatiable hunger for success ultimately pulled her through the contest.
#3 Barty now has an eight-match winning streak at Roland Garros
Australia's stringent protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic meant Ashleigh Barty could not defend her French Open title last year. Her return to Paris this year is thus an unofficial defense of the title she won a couple of years ago.
With her first-round triumph on Tuesday, the Aussie now has an eight-match winning streak at the claycourt Major.
Having won the Stuttgart title and reached the Madrid final in the run-up to Roland Garros, Ashleigh Barty would be eager to lay her hands on the biggest prize of them all once again. But for that to happen, she needs to be at 100% physically. Needless to say, that remains the biggest challenge for Ashleigh Barty at the moment.
