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Top seed Ashleigh Barty fought off an inspired Anna Blinkova in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday. The Aussie won 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the Round of 32.
Barty had a uncomfortable start on Centre Court as she went down an early break to the young Russian. But she overcame the deficit quickly by breaking serve in the next game itself, and thereafter maintained the lead for most of the match to eventually claim victory.
Barty's best result at the All England Club is a fourth-round finish, which came two years ago. But with three titles already this year (Melbourne, Miami and Stuttgart), the World No. 1 is looking to add another trophy to the cabinet, preferably a second Major, this fortnight in London.
On that note, here's a look at the three biggest talking points from Barty's second-round match against Blinkova:
#1 Ashleigh Barty had an off day, but managed to navigate past the hiccups
Given the kind of tennis that Ashleigh Barty is capable of producing when she is at her best, Thursday seemed like an off day. She gave away an early break and conceded eight break points, getting broken thrice overall.
The Aussie also coughed up a whopping nine double faults, and landed just 53% of her first serves. That was in stark difference to her previous match against Carla Suarez Navarro, where got broken only once and double faulted just thrice against 13 aces.
Barty also let 33 unforced errors come off her racket against Blinkova.
Nevertheless, the World No. 1 was good on her serve during the crucial moments, and was able to save four break points in the penultimate game. Her experience and maturity allowed her to escape tricky situations throughout the course of the match.
#2 Ashleigh Barty's net game made a big difference
Prior to dominating singles, Ashleigh Barty enjoyed plenty of success as a doubles player. She even won the 2018 US Open in that discipline.
Three years on, her experience from doubles is still helping her in her singles game.
Barty doesn't hesitate to approach the net, and often benefits from the serve-and-volley strategy on a quick surface like grass. Her remarkable reflexes at the net helped the Aussie win 75% of her net points on Thursday, which bodes well for her going into the rest of the tournament.
#3 Ashleigh Barty's slice can be deadly on grass
Ashleigh Barty has exceptional control and placement on her famed backhand slice. The shot helps in disrupting the opponent's rhythm during rallies, and allows her to come out on top in the cat-and-mouse points.
The top seed used the slice to control the rallies in her second-round match as well. She was able to redirect the fast-paced shots of Anna Blinkova very effectively, before creating enough space to hit the ball into the open court.
Barty's tally of 33 winners to Blinkova's 12 is a strong testament to the way the World No. 1 maneuvered the points her way.
