Ash Barty says she’s living a dream after winning Wimbledon’s battle of Australia on Centre Court, beating her friend Ajla Tomljanovic in a win that’s seen her into the semi-finals for the first time.
The pair’s quarter-final under the roof on another soggy day ended up being as predictable as its billing on Tuesday with the world’s finest women’s player proving far too accomplished for the Number 75 as she soared to a 6-1 6-3 victory in 66 one-sided minutes.
“Ajla’s an incredible competitor, I’ve practised with her a lot, we’re Fed Cup teammates and she was always going to bring out the very best in me,” Barty told the crowd after the nation’s top two women players hugged at the net.
“She’s had an incredible fortnight and I think all Aussies back home are bloody proud of her.
“This is a dream come true, genuinely it is.”
Barty and Tomljanovic were playing the first all-Australian women’s quarter-final at SW19 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley beat Wendy Turnbull 41 years ago.
Ash Barty will be hoping it’s a happy omen as Goolagong Cawley went on to win that year in 1980. She’s just two matches away from becoming an Indigenous Australian champion herself, 50 years since her idol and mentor won her first title.
Barty will next play the 2018 champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-final after the German 25th seed earlier outclassed Czech Karolina Muchova, the Number 19 seed, 6-2 6-3.
“It’s the ultimate test,” said top-seed Barty, who’s had two wins and two losses against the German previously.
The other semi will pit Barty’s regular foe this season, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the Number Two seed who ended Ons Jabeur’s run 6-4 6-3, against Czech eighth seed Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Viktorija Golubic 6-2 6-2.
All the action of the Wimbledon quarter finals will be on 9Gem with commentators Roz Kelly, Todd Woodbridge, Sam Groth, Jelena Dokic and Brett Phillips.
Barty Vs. Kerber, Wimbledon semi finals: July 8th on 9Gem, 9Now, and Stan Sport