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BARTY 2021 ROLAND GARROS FRENCH OPEN
Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments, WTA Tennis Players

‘A tough, disappointing day’ – Ash Barty upset in Olympics opener


World number one Ashleigh Barty is out of the Tokyo Olympics after a stunning defeat to Sara Sorribes Tormo.

The Wimbledon champion was downed 6-4, 6-3 by the Spaniard in the first round of the 2020 Games on her Olympic debut.

World number 48 Sorribes Tormo will face Fiona Ferro – who beat Anastasija Sevastova – in the second round.

“It was a tough day, a disappointing day. I can’t lie about that. It was just loose,” Barty told the Seven Network.

“I knew I wanted to try and take the match on today and it was going to be a fine line of pushing too hard and not getting stuck into patterns I didn’t want to get stuck in. [I was] just too erratic today, I wasn’t able to make enough balls.

“(On the heat) Yeah, it’s brutal, but this is like an Australian summer for me. I quite enjoy the heat. I love playing out here in these kind of conditions, but it wasn’t meant to be today.”

In the opening set, Sorribes Tormo broke twice to race to a 4-1 lead, and held off a Barty fightback to convert a third set point.

The pair exchanged breaks to start the second set, before the 24-year-old crucially broke for 4-3 after the Australian had led 40-0.

Sorribes Tormo struck again to seal a superb triumph as Barty served to stay in the match.


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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.