January 25, (THEWILL) – Ashleigh Barty raced through Jessica Pegula to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.
The world number one won 6-2 6-0 in just over an hour as she continued in her bid to become the first Australian to win in Melbourne since Chris O’Neill in 1978.
In order to reach the Australian Open final for the first time, Barty will face another American, Madison Keys. The Australian, who fell to Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals in 2020, is in good form to progress as she has yet to drop a set in five matches.
She was not at her best against Pegula, but she did not have to be because the American battled to find her range, making 26 unforced errors to only seven wins.
Barty has matched her best finish at the Australian Open and is just two victories away from ending a 44-year wait for an Australian singles winner at Melbourne Park.
The world number one has only dropped one set all season, and it came in her first match against Coco Gauff. Since then, she has been on a roll and is giving the Australians the hope of a Grand Slam once again.
