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Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrates victory after the Women’s Singles final match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on Day eight of the 2019 WTA Finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on November 3, 2019 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
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Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrates victory after the Women’s Singles final match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on Day eight of the 2019 WTA Finals at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on November 3, 2019 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Fans were quite happy today to watch Ashleigh Barty make a comeback on the court again. The World No.1 player last played at the Qatar Open in February 2020 and didn’t play a single match in the 2020 season after that. Today, she faced the World No.2 Simona Halep in an exhibition match in Adelaide right before the Australian Open 2021.
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Although Ashleigh Barty lost to Simona Halep in a very close match, she was able to win many hearts with her fighting spirit. The final scoreline of 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 clearly reflected that fact. In the post-match interview, she disclosed her feelings and said that it was fantastic to be back. She even thanked her fans for turning out in such a huge number to welcome her back.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to be back. [I] Genuinely missed it so much. I cannot thank you guys enough for not only welcoming myself but Simona and all the other players here,” said Barty in the interview.
"It is bloody good to be back."
One year without playing.
Returns with a vengeance. 😤@AshBarty is BACK. pic.twitter.com/sN7SiDAFzk— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 29, 2021
Although Barty was out for about a year, she didn’t let that reflect in her performance. Despite the fact that she lost to Halep, she gave some really tough competition to her in the match.
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“Loved playing in front of you guys“- Ashleigh Barty
Barty also revealed that she was getting a little impatient to play in the last couple of months. She also stated that she is quite excited to begin her campaign next week at the Australian Open 2021.
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Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrates winning match point during her Women’s Singles first-round match against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine on day one of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“It’s just been great to be back. I’ve been getting a little bit impatient for the last 2-3 months, getting ready to play. I’m so excited to play next week, obviously. It’s a perfect preparation coming here,” added the World No.1 player.
The Australian player also highlighted that she was feeling quite good playing in front of a packed stadium. She even said that playing in front of her fans was surely remarkable.
“I loved every minute, I loved playing in front of you guys. You know, it’s pretty amazing to think where we’ve been the last 12 months and to now have a near-full crowd here. It’s remarkable,” concluded Barty.
Barty will surely start as one of the favorites at the upcoming Grand Slam. Although she is making a comeback, fans still have pretty high expectations from her. Will Barty be able to win her second Grand Slam title at her home this year?
Also Read: Ashleigh Barty eager to make a comeback ahead of the Australian Open 2021
