Ashleigh Barty eases past Jessica Pegula to set up Madison Keys semi-final at 2022 Australian Open
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ByEurosport
Updated 25/01/2022 at 10:00 GMT
Ashleigh Barty continued her quest for a first Australian Open title by easing to victory over American Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals in Melbourne. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99
Highlights: Barty brushes aside Anisimova to reach quarter-finals
Ashleigh Barty swept past Jessica Pegula to move into the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
The world No 1, bidding to become the first Australian to win in Melbourne since Chris O’Neill in 1978, won 6-2 6-0 in just over an hour.
Barty will next face another American, Madison Keys, as she bids to reach the Australian Open final for the first time.
Barty, who also made the semi-finals in 2020 when she lost to Sofia Kenin, is yet to drop a set in five matches.
“That was solid tonight. I had a lot of fun out here," said Barty in her on-court interview.
"I was able to serve and find a lot of forehands in the centre of the court and I was happy to take the game on, be aggressive on my forehand, not worry if I miss a couple, as long as I’m doing the right things."
Barty wasn’t at her very best against Pegula but didn’t need to be as the American struggled to find her range and committed 26 unforced errors against just seven winners.
A break in the opening game of the match set the tone as Barty moved into the lead.
Pegula had a chance to break back in the fourth game but snatched at a second serve.
That was to be Pegula's only break-point chance of the match as she was unable to take advantage of Barty's level dropping midway through the opening set.
Once Barty clinched the first set with a love hold it was one-way traffic as she raced through the second set in just 25 minutes.
Asked about the prospect of facing Keys, who she beat on her way to winning the French Open in 2019, Barty said: "It's so nice to have Madi back playing her best tennis, she's a top player, she deserves to be at the top of our game.
"She had a really rough trot last year with injuries and some illness and different things but it's just so nice to see her back out here doing what she does best, smiling.
“She's one of the most incredible girls in the locker room and has set up so many good things off the court with some charities that she's worked with.
"It's just amazing to see her back here doing what she does best and loving it. I have had plenty of battles with Madi before and this is just going to add to it, I can’t wait, whoever executes better will be in the final.”
The other women's quarter-finals will see Danielle Collins face Alize Cornet and seventh seed Iga Swiatek take on Kaia Kanepi.
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Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99.
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