Potential Tennis Star, Ashleigh Barty is Appearing in Australia

Written by: Resendiz on 23rd December 2011

Potential Tennis Star, Ashleigh Barty is Appearing in Australia |

Australia will laud one of their own as a reigning female major champion in Samantha Stosur when the action begins Down Under at the start of the New Year, but the senior debut of 15 year-old Ashleigh Barty is causing even more excitement with numerous comparisons to Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.

Like the former world no.1 who won seven majors titles at the Australian and French Opens as well as Wimbledon, Barty has indigenous heritage with Aboriginal blood coursing through her young veins. “She is like me – when tennis gets too much, she goes fishing,” said Goolagong-Cawley. “I’ve met her several times. She is a woman after my own heart.”

Barty has already secured a wildcard for the Australian Open with victory in this month’s wildcard play-off but first she will make her WTA debut at either the Brisbane International or Hobart International.

So many big names are expecting the Queensland youngster who won last year’s Wimbledon Girls title to create an immediate impression. John Fitzgerald, who spent nine years as Australia’s Davis Cup captain and hardly a man prone to exaggeration, refers to Barty as ”probably the best prospect we’ve had in 20 years in the women’s game”.

Goolagong-Cawley herself said: “She is a real pro who is set to make a huge impression on this sport. I will be following her every point. I saw her play during the Australian Open juniors last year and she has an all-round game.

“It was nice to see someone who slices the ball, plays drop shots – she has great variety in her shots and she goes for it, she tries them. When they all come off, she’s fantastic. She’s very mature on and off the court. She can go far.”

Australian Fed Cup captain David Taylor, who also coaches Stosur, is equally impressed and believes the youngster could make the most precociously stunning impression on the women’s game since Martina Hingis.

“She’s the real deal,” said Taylor who once coached the Swiss former world no.1. “She’s a complete tennis player, an updated and better version of Hingis. She already serves better. I haven’t seen anyone with this much potential before.

“She is amazing but we have to be careful with her. People are excited because she is such an outstanding talent and we haven’t had one like that for so long.”

Topics: Ashleigh Barty, Samantha Stosur