- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australian hopeful Ashleigh Barty has been drawn fourth seed Elina Svitolina in the first round for what will be a battle of the ages. Can the Brisbane local send the Ukrainian crashing out of Wimbledon or will Svitolina get the better of Barty? Join The Roar from around 10:30pm (AEST) for live coverage.
Ash Barty is in prime form heading into Wimbledon, carving her competition on grass after a first round exit at Roland Garros.
The Australian had a scary start at Nottingham dropping the first set in her first round matchup against Tatjana Maria however, she managed to fight back to win in a convincing fashion 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Barty then showed her might against Jana Fett winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 before coming up against Sydney-born Brit Johanna Konta in the quarterfinal, going down 6-3, 7-5.
After a quarterfinal exit at Nottingham, Barty raced out of the gates at Birmingham with wins over Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 7-6 and Barbora Strycova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
She then moved through to the semifinals after Camila Giorgi retired hurt, dismantling Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 only to be stopped in the final by Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Barty must target Svitolina’s volley and play an aggressive game at the net. She will benefit largely from her recent hit-outs against top 20 players such as Konta, Strycova, Muguruza and Kvitova.
Svitolina has only had two matches on grass since a quarterfinal loss at Roland Garros. The Ukrainian was on track to meet with Barty in the third round of Birmingham after defeating local Heather Watson 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 however, Camila Giorgi ultimately booked her place against the Australian, outplaying Svitolina in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Svitolina’s preferred surface is clay and she has struggled at Wimbledon before reaching the first round on her first two attempts in 2013 and 2014 and only managing to make it through to the second in both 2015 and 2016.
She will however be entering the tournament in her strongest position ever before at world No.5 as fourth seed.
Barty and Svitolina clashed earlier in the year at the Fed Cup with the Ukrainian getting the better of the Australian, coming up trumps in a three set 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory in Kharkiv on hard court.
It is the only time the two have played each other on the WTA Tour.
The winner will play either of Francesca Schiavone or Mandy Minella in the second round.
Prediction
This fixture shapes as one of the most exciting of the first round and should be close fought. Barty knows how to fight back and this battle of two rising stars on the WTA Tour could go down to a tiebreaker.
Svitolina in three sets.
Join The Roar from around 10:30pm (AEST) for live coverage following the completion of Aussie Nick Kyrgios and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Be sure to drop a comment in the box below if you’re watching the match.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.