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‘I will be right as rain,’ Barty brushes off injury concern ahead of Miami final


World No 1 Ashleigh Barty has declared she will be fully fit to face Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the Miami Open final. 

Barty, who saved a match point in her opening match of the tournament against Kristina Kucova, is now on track for a tenth WTA Tour level title as she takes on Andreescu on Saturday.

“Every single match I felt like I’ve done something a little bit better, and that’s all you can ask,” said Barty, who withdrew from tournaments in Doha and Dubai in March with a leg injury.

After receiving treatment for an abdominal issue during her straight-sets victory over Elina Svitolina, Barty brushed off any injury concerns and vowed she would be “right as rain” for a title showdown.

Her opponent Bianca Andreescu ousted Greek star Maria Sakkari to earn a place in Saturday’s final and the Canadian is relishing the challenge of taking on the World No 1.

“I have wanted to play her for long time now. It will be a tough match and I am looking forward to it,” Andreescu said of facing Barty in the final.

Andreescu, who missed the entirety of the 2020 calendar after lifting the US Open title a year earlier, has admitted to ‘feeling like an octopus’ on court.

“Sometimes I literally feel like I’m an octopus out there running side to side, I feel like I have eight legs,” she added.

“It’s insane. Sometimes I don’t even know how I get to some shots. But it’s that fighting spirit I have always had in me, never giving up.”

Saturday’s final will be the first meeting between the pair and will present a contrast of styles, with Barty eager to use the slice whilst Andreescu looks to assert her authority with powerful groundstrokes.


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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.