Ash Barty has beaten Victoria Azarenka in the Miami Open on Tuesday, moving her through to the quarter-finals.
The top-ranked Aussie was pushed to three sets by the fourteenth seed, holding on 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.
“It’s just about staying in the fight,” Barty said. “It’s about not relenting, not giving up regardless of whether you lose a set or you get a break, whatever it might be.”
This was her seventeenth win in 20 three-set matches.
Barty is the reigning Miami Open champion while Belarusian Azarenka has won the title three times. She will next face Belarusian seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka who beat Markéta Vondroušová, in a cruisy two set win, 6-1, 6-2.
The Miami Open was cancelled last year because of COVID-19 and this year is the biggest tennis tournament since the Australian Open. Many big names have still pulled out of the competition though, with Serena Williams withdrawing because of recent oral surgery.
Photo: Ash Barty by Peter Menzel available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.
