Three years ago, Ash Barty returned to the sport after walking away from tennis at the age of 18. She had played some cricket in Australia during her hiatus, and entered a mid-level ITF event with no ranking. As is her way, she quietly built up her ranking over the next few years. But 2019 has been her true breakthrough. Barty reached her first Major quarterfinal at her home Slam, then won the biggest title of her career in Miami. And after no previous success on this surface, she’s advanced to her first Slam final on clay, following a bizarrely streaky semifinal against Amanda Anisimova. She’ll debut in the top three on Monday, and would be the new world No.2 with a win today.
Three years ago, Marketa Vondrousova was ranked outside the top 300. Only 16-years-old at the time, she played in the junior event here at Roland Garros, and didn’t play again the rest of the year due to an elbow inury. She returned the next year and won her first 20 matches at ITF events. And in just her second WTA-level event, she won the title in Bienne, Switzerland. In 2018, Vondrousova advanced to the second week of a Major for the first time. This year she’s now reached the quarterfinals or better in her last six events, and has advanced to her first Slam final without dropping a set. Marketa will debut in the top 16 on Monday, and would move all the way up to No.11 with a win today.
Ash Barty (8) vs. Marketa Vondrousova
This is a most unlikely Major final, but it should be a lot of fun. Both players possess such variety in their games, yet have plenty of contrast in their styles, which will create some compelling rallies all around the court. They’ve met twice before, with Barty taking both matches, one on grass and one on a hard court. One would think the clay would play to Vondrousova’s advantage. Her lefty serve will bounce higher, while the clay will take some pace off Ash’s big forehand. The cool temperatures forecast for Saturday will only slow the ball down more. But the key to victory for both players may be how they handle this moment. The 19-year-old Vondrousova is yet to show any significant signs of nerves during this fortnight, but she’ll surely be feeling them on this occasion. Barty meanwhile let a 5-0 first set lead slip away in yesterday’s semifinals, yet took advantage of her 17-year-old opponent’s inexperience to come back from a set and a break down. Could a similar story play out today? Perhaps, but Marketa showed her grit yesterday in coming back from a set down twice against Johanna Konta, who had been serving excellently at this tournament. Neither player should be overly tired just one day removed from the semis, though Barty went through much more of an emotional roller coaster in her match. In what should be a tight contest between two first-time finalists, I’m giving the slight edge to Barty. Of the two players, she’s the less likely to get down on herself if the match isn’t going her way, and Ash has much more experience in big matches.
Other Notable Matches on Day 14:
Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem play for the right to face Rafael Nadal in tomorrow’s men’s final. They split the first two sets, and Thiem is up 3-1 in the third. The wind and rain should not be a factor as they were yesterday, conditions Thiem dealt with much more positively than Djokovic. The winner will play for a fourth day in a row on Sunday against a fresh King of Clay.
In the men’s doubles final with two unseeded teams, Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin vs. Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies.
