WIMBLEDON, July 10: Top-ranked Ash Barty won her first Wimbledon title by beating Karolina Pliskova in three sets.
Barty used a fast start to seize the momentum against a shaky Pliskova and then overcame a wobble of her own to win 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3.
The eighth-seeded Pliskova didn’t win a single point in the first three games and then double-faulted on break point to hand Barty a 4-0 lead.
Barty served for the match at 6-5 in the second set but made several forehand errors to let Pliskova back in the match. The Australian then took a 3-0 lead in the third set and held serve the rest of the way.
It is Barty’s second Grand Slam title. She also won the 2019 French Open.
It was Pliskova’s second Grand Slam final. She was runner-up at the 2016 U.S Open.
Pliskova had won the second set of the women’s Wimbledon final and came from a break down twice to win 7-6 (4) and level the match.
Pliskova looked more settled in the second set although she gifted Barty a break for 6-5 after leading 40-0 in that game. But Barty then faltered when trying to serve out the match, missing three forehands.
Pliskova took a 6-2 lead in the tiebreaker and clinched it when Barty double-faulted.
The eighth-seeded Pliskova didn’t win a single point in the first three games and then double-faulted on break point to hand Barty a 4-0 lead.
Pliskova broke back at love in the next game, then dropped her serve again before breaking Barty for a second time. She finally held serve for the first time before Barty served out the set.
On Friday, world No 1 Novak Djokovic outplayed 10th seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada in straight sets to reach the mens singles final.
Serbia’s Djokovic came up with another clinical performance as he moved one step closer to winning his sixth Wimbledon crown.
He defeated Shapovalov 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5 in two hours and 44 minutes on the Centre Court.
Djokovic served well, winning 81 per cent of his first serve points. He sent down eight aces, hit 33 winners and committed only 15 unforced errors as compared to 35 by Shapovalov.
In Sunday’s final, Djokovic will meet Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini, who stormed into his maiden Grand Slam final with a four-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
Seventh-seeded Neal Skupski of Britain and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States have reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon after beating John Peers of Australia and Zhang Shuai of China 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 on No. 1 Court.
They will play British duo Joe Salisbury and Harriet Dart on Sunday. (Agencies)
