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Ashleigh Barty has reached her first major semi-final after beating American Madison Keys in straight sets in the French Open quarter-finals.
Key points:
- Number eight seed Ash Barty will next play Amanda Anisimova
- Her win comes after an entire day's play was washed out on Wednesday
- Barty is one of only two Australians in the past decade to reach the top 10
Barty took just over an hour to see off the 14th-ranked Keys 6-3, 7-5 to progress to the final four at Roland Garros.
The 23-year-old from Queensland looked in control throughout and even managed to overcome a hiccup in the second set when Keys broke her as she was serving for the match.
However, she responded magnificently against last year's semi-finalist and broke straight back before closing out the match to love.
Despite being on the receiving end of eight aces, Barty's return game was solid throughout as she won 40 per cent of her receiving points and converted 80 per cent on her own serve.
Keys finished with a combined count of 52 unforced or forced errors, while Barty had 33.
Barty was asked afterward whether she was shocked that her game, seemingly built for hard courts, has been so good on slower clay.
"Yes," she replied. "Very much so. I've been learning every single day."
The Australian's win came after an entire day's play was washed out at the Open in Paris on Wednesday.
Barty will meet Amanda Anisimova for a spot in the final, after the unseeded American upstaged defending champion Simona Halep in straight sets in their quarter-final.
"I can't believe it. I mean, I've been working so hard, but I didn't think it would pay off like this," Anisimova said on making it to the next round. "This is honestly more than I could ask for."
At 17, Anisimova is the youngest US woman into the final four at Roland Garros since 14-year-old Jennifer Capriati in 1990.
Three matches in three days
To become the first Australian to reach the final in Paris since Samantha Stosur nine years ago, Barty must now play three matches in as many days.
Along with fellow Queenslander Stosur, Barty is only the second Australian in the past decade to reach the top 10.
The women's French Open semi-final matches will be held on Friday on Courts Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne Mathieu — the second and third-largest courts at Roland Garros.
Organisers said they moved the matches to those courts in order to "give as many fans as possible the opportunity to attend" following the rain on Wednesday.
ABC/wires
First posted