LIVE SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fed Cup Final, Rubber 3, reverse singles | |||
| Venue: RAC Arena, Perth, Western Australia | |||
| S1 | S2 | S3 | |
| Ashleigh Barty (AUS) | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Match duration: 2 hour, 32 minutes | |||
France look to hold the upper hand after three rubbers in the Fed Cup Final, after Kristina Mladenovic upset world No.1 Ash Barty in a thrilling match.
Final score
Ash Barty 6 4 6
Kristina Mladenovic 2 6 7
It’s crunch time in the Fed Cup Final as the second day of play gets going. In what will be a crucial rubber between the two dominating Day 1 players, world No.1 Ashleigh Barty will take on Kristina Mladenovic with the winner taking all the pressure off their team in the fourth match. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2pm (AEDT).
While yesterday saw a pair of one-sided beatdowns in favour of Barty over Caroline Garcia and Mladenovic over Ajla Tomljanovic, this match promises to be a lot more hotly contested.
The two number one players for their respective nations will clash hoping to take the pressure off the beaten players from yesterday in that fourth rubber.
Barty’s year has been phenomenal. A French Open title, the WTA Finals champion and end of season world No.1, she is the best in the world and looked every bit of that yesterday as she handed Garcia a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing.
Garcia barely got into points against Barty, who used her all court game, great court movement and mix up of shots to keep the Frenchwoman behind in the match at all times.
It also means Barty will be more or less fresh for today, where she has to play the second singles match and doubles later this afternoon, should the tie get to that.
Mladenovic, who sits around 40 in the world, is in the same boat as Barty today, needing to play two possible matches today, but had a big win over Tomljanovic yesterday.
She hit the ball crisply, picked her spots nicely and eventually walked away with a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
This one could well come down to who serves more effectively. Neither have the biggest games on the WTA Tour, but are incredibly hard to answer when they get it right consistently, so that will be the battle today.
Prediction
Barty’s form has been something pretty special recently. She is the top player in the world and still yet to lose a Fed Cup match this year. On home soil, she should get job done again in a thriller.
Barty in straight sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the third rubber at the Fed Cup Final from 2pm (AEDT) on Sunday, and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Start time: 2pm (AEDT)
Venue: RAC Arena, Perth
TV: Live, Channel 9
Online: Live, 9Now
anon
Roar Pro
Mladenovic is no mug.
Nick
Roar Guru
To answer the question - Yes, Serena Williams has consistently dropped her bundle at home against low ranked players. Nadal lost to Soderling in the French Open...as close to a home match as it gets for him. It happens. You are an absolute disgrace, Papi Smurf. Editors - really?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
And as the world number 1 ranked woman Ash Barty couldn't adapt? Too many unforced errors and poor shot selection Scott. Leaving a ball that landed in late in the match only further emphasised her decisions were off. Face it, she choked.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
But to quote Eddie Murphy; "What has she done lately?" :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Mladenovic deserves full credit for her performance and could have won much easier if not for her nerves. Ash Barty looked like anything but a top 10 player IMO.
Scott Pryde
Expert
She didn't tank anything. Players lose matches. It happens. Mladenovic just changed her strategy and played like she used to when she was ranked tenth.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Irrespective of how taxing their year was Hewitt and Rafter wouldn't have tanked at home playing for Australia against a player ranked 40 places BELOW them!
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
The only thing kyrios and tomic would be proud of is your dummy spit. Barty has been fantastic this year. Couldn't match it today but not because of a lack of effort.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The other thing everyone is missing is that Mladenovic was number 10 less than 2 years ago. She is a good player.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
OK. Sub-par for a world number 1 player. Barty went MIA in the third set and only managed to stay in the match because the french girl choked a number of times when trying to close out the match. Can you imagine any former women's number 1 player performing like that on home soil against a player ranked 40th in the world? Honestly?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Did you actually watch the match? There was nothing half-hearted about it.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
I dropped my smarties there. OK, I got that wrong but I'm still in shock mate and I just finished a loooong interstate drive so I am worn out ATM. It's over 30 degrees in North Korea and I'm trying to adjust to no daylight savings. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Scott that was a half-hearted effort that only Nick Kyrios and Bernard Tomic would be proud of. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Scott Pryde
Expert
She won the first set 6-2... What?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Probably not, but no one is trying to class Barty alongside those players. She got overpowered, sure, but it's been a long season and one bad tiebreaker doesn't define it.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Has a word number 1 player ever lost 6 - 2 in a first set to a player ranked 40th in the world when playing without injury? Seriously?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Would Serena Williams, Federer, Nadal or Djokovic have lost like that at home against a player ranked 40th in the world? Tooany unforced errors, poor shot selection, lack of focus in the rallies and an inability to take advantage of an opponent that was clearly struggling with nerves when trying to close out a match. Was that a performance worthy of a world number 1, Scott?
Simoc
Guest
Big turn around when Barty missed a passing shot down the line to break serve at the end of the second set (the long game). She got more tentative with and after that. That was high pressure and the difference between expectations and no expectations. Tough loss.
Scott Pryde
Expert
You're off your head mate. It was a great match, she certainly wasn't smashed, and has won about 15 Fed Cup matches in a row before this. No shame being beaten in a third set breaker.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Credit to Mladenovic, sure. But even when she choked Barty choked even more. Disgraceful performance from a world number 1. Truly woeful.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Absolute rubbish from Ash Barty. And THAT is a world number 1 performance? What a joke! She just got smashed by a woman ranked 40th in the world. I don’t think I have ever seen a world number 1 player, mens or womens, look as average in ANY generation. Seriously poor performance. How is Barty the the world number 1? Seriously?