Tennis

Spotlight intensifies but semi-finalist Ashleigh Barty remains grounded


If she chose, Ashleigh Barty could run for Prime Minister tomorrow and probably win. But the quiet Queenslander with the nation willing her on to become the first Australian to win the women’s title since Christine O’Neill 42 years ago said after reaching the semi-finals on Tuesday, she would rather be “sitting at home, living my quiet little life”.

Her growing celebrity neither bothers her nor enchants her. But, if the world No 1 plays the American Sofia Kenin on Thursday like she did in beating the world No 7 Petra Kvitová 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in building heat on Rod Laver Arena, she will find herself in the full glare of the final. And then the expectations will be off the scale.

Kenin, who put the teenager Coco Gauff out in the fourth round, was well worth her 6-4, 6-4 win over the unseeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur in an hour and 32 minutes. She will not find Barty quite so easy, although the Australian had to resist a powerful surge at the start from Kvitová, who brought all her pedigree and experience to the fight.

Later she was polite but disinterested when the praise and the prying for a little extra began tumbling her way. Asked about her mum being in her box, she said: “I couldn’t even tell you where she sits. I’m not looking up at her direction. To me, she’s mum. That’s what she is. She wears a million hats for our family. She does the exact same things for me as she does for my sisters. I love her just being mum. I know she gets nervous. I think she has a bit of a fit sometimes when the matches are close.”

And as for the plaudits that pile up by the day, she said she does not pay attention to it. “I’d prefer to be sitting at home just living my quiet little life. No offence, but not having to chat to you guys every day would be pretty good. I feel like I have nothing to say. I’m talking in circles a little bit. It’s incredible. It’s a part of the journey that I hate it and I love it.

“I’m here to try and do the best that I can. Obviously it’s exciting. Hopefully I can bring a smile to a few faces around our country and around the world. For me, it’s trying to do the best that I can.

“Everyone has their own unique path, their own unique journey. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change mine for the world. Every single experience, the good and the bad, I’ve learnt from. I’ve grown. I was involved in sport from probably when I could walk. I can’t even remember the first sport I was kind of involved in. It was in my blood straight away. There are probably a lot of kids around the nation, around the world that are the same. Some pick it up later in life, some don’t at all.”



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