Second set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 *3-2 Kiki Bertens: Barty gets the break back immediately, forcing an error from Bertens with a heavy crosscourt forehand. Plenty of unforced errors before that though. We have been spoilt with some quality tennis in the opening two days, but this is a very choppy tennis match. Bertens very understandably doesn’t seem to have the energy while Barty hasn’t been able to punish her as thoroughly as she should.
Second set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 2-2* Kiki Bertens: Well then. Barty led 40-15 and seemed to be coasting towards consolidating the break, then she just seemed to lose focus. A series of errors was punctuated by the worst of all – a missed drive volley into the open court on break point. We’re back on serve.
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Second set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 *2-1 Kiki Bertens: Well, that was not pretty from Kiki Bertens. After a stream of unforced errors, Bertens dumps a forehand into the net to hand Barty the break early in set two.
Second set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 1-1* Kiki Bertens: Barty is looking good at the moment. Great, aggressive service game opened with a wicked forehand winner and closed with a nice foray to the net, sealed with a volley winner.
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Second set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 *0-1 Kiki Bertens: Among many things, Bertens really needs to serve better if she wants to have a chance here. She finished the first set with 43% first serves, which is abysmal and it’s killing her – she won 5/17(29%) of second serve points in that set.
This was a great hold, saving a couple of break points to put her mark down on the second set. After the second break point, Bertens found three consecutive first serves and was finally able to step into the court. Good stuff.
First set: Ashleigh Barty 6-3 Kiki Bertens: Barty serves out the first set with aplomb. A pretty strange set in general. Barty lost her serve twice yet all three of her holds were to love. Bertens has looked quite lethargic aside from a few moments of excellence, while Barty finally cut out errors towards the end of the set and thrived.
First set: Ashleigh Barty *5-3 Kiki Bertens: Bertens digs out her first hold of the day, but it wasn’t easy. Bertens moved to a 40-15 lead, only for Barty to fight back including whistling backhand winner. But she holds on to force Barty to serve out the set.
First set: Ashleigh Barty *4-2 Kiki Bertens: Another service game, another break. A brilliantly constructed point from Barty to break, forcing Bertens onto the run with an angled forehand, then slipping a backhand winner to the other corner. Plenty of errors from Bertens before that though.
First set: Ashleigh Barty 3-2* Kiki Bertens: So much for good serving. We’re five games in with only one hold. That was a great return game from Bertens though, who connected with two incredible running forehand crosscourt winners. The first was a great passing shot as Barty approached and the second was a wicked angle that not even Barty, with her pace, could reach. We’re back on serve but who will hold?
First set: Ashleigh Barty *3-1 Kiki Bertens: For all the attention on Barty’s slice backhand, the Aussie has been hitting more and more driven backhands this year. She pulls off a brilliant angled backhand passing shot to break again. There are some errors from both here but these are interesting, long exchanges with both women prodding the other and looking to inflict damage their heavy topspin forehands.
First set: Ashleigh Barty 2-1* Kiki Bertens: Barty double faults on break point to give the break back. A couple of loose errors from her there but Bertens really put her foot down. Bertens started the game with a wicked running forehand passing shot and she threaded one of the best points of the event so far at deuce, with backhand slices, booming forehands and then a great pick-up at then net. Very nice.
First set: Ashleigh Barty *2-0 Kiki Bertens: Bertens looked on her way to securing her own easy hold at 30-0, but then Barty came alive. A brilliant crosscourt forehand passing shot from the Aussie, then a well-constructed point finished with a slick volley. She already looks extremely sharp.
First set: Ashleigh Barty 1-0 Kiki Bertens: Ashleigh Barty is the year end number one and she opens her account with an easy hold to love. Three first serves in, no problem.
So, who will win?
Barty leads their head-to-head 5-0, so on the surface not much more needs to be said. But all but one of their meetings have been extremely tight three setters. Their most recent match just a few weeks ago in Beijing was their toughest yet as Barty survived Bertens 6-3 3-6 7-6(7) in the semis, saving a match point. Bertens is so close but Barty still has the mental edge.
Expect good serving as Bertens and Barty are two of the best servers in the game, respectively second and third on the ace list this year. Despite her strength and the viciousness of her strokes, Bertens is a clay courter at heart and these slow courts will give her time to build the points and choose her moments wisely. Barty will complicate things with her slice, forcing Bertens to generate a lot of pace herself. It will be interesting to see who controls the early exchanges.
The biggest factor may be that Bertens’ schedule has been absolutely insane this autumn as she desperately tried to qualify to Shenzhen on merit. She played in the final of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai on Sunday. At some point she has to tire. Will it be today?
Preamble
Hello! Welcome to our coverage on day 3 of the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, where we have awoken to some disappointing news. We were supposed to have a huge battle between Roland Garros champion Ashleigh Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who have carried the top ranking between them since February, won their first matches on Sunday and played an excellent match a few weeks ago in the Beijing final, but Osaka has withdrawn from the WTA Finals this morning with a shoulder injury.
In Osaka’s stead, alternate Kiki Bertens will take to the court against Barty. This remains a significant occasion as Barty will secure the year-end number one ranking once she steps onto the court today, a big achievement that reflects her consistency.
This match-up is a particularly funny one. Bertens is most at home on clay and she arrived at Roland Garros with many people considering her a title favourite. Instead, she tearfully retired in the second round with a gastrointestinal illness, while Barty shocked the world by winning her first grand slam title on her “worst” surface. Despite that huge disappointment, this has been a good season for Bertens, her first full year in the top 10. Bertens arrives in Shenzhen having reached the final of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai last week and her best result of the year was the Madrid Premier Mandatory title in May, in which she bulldozed the field without dropping a set.
As for Barty, we know how good this year has been. Aside from the highs of winning Roland Garros and Miami, the reason she is in position to confirm her year-end number one ranking is because she has been the most consistent player throughout the entire season, constantly going deep in tournaments even when she isn’t at her best. We’ll see if she can seal the ranking with a victory today.
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