Ash Barty steams past Maria Sharapova after early game wobbles to reach Australian Open quarter-finals
- Aussie tennis star Ash Barty has made the quarter finals of the Australian Open
- First Australian woman since Jelana Dokic in 2009 to make final eight there
- Barty, 22, came from a set down to beat former world one Maria Sharapova
Tennis sensation Ash Barty has become the first Australian womens player in 10 years to reach the quarter finals of the Australian Open after a stirring fightback.
The rising star, 22, came from a set down to storm into her maiden grand slam quarter-final on Sunday in a drama-charged 4-6 6-1 6-4 win over former world number one Maria Sharapova at Melbourne Park.
She’s Australia’s last remaining hope in the grand slam after fellow young guns Alexei Popyrin and Alex Bolt bowed out of the tournament on Saturday night.
Ash Barty has made the quarter finals of a grand slam for the first time after beating Maria Sharapova in the fourth round of the Australian Open
Barty overcame a nervous, error-riddled first set to defeat the five-times major winner in a rousing fourth-round performance.
She is the first Australian womens player to reach the final eight at the tournament since Jelena Dokic in 2009.
A big Aussie crowd was at Melbourne Park to cheer Barty on from the stands, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his family.
Five time grand slam winner Mari Sharapova congrats Barty after their epic showdown
‘This is unreal playing on this beautiful court in front of a packed house. There is nothing better,’ Barty said moments after the epic match.
She paid tribute to her Russian opponent Sharapova.
‘She was an absolute champion. She was never going to go away. I knew I had to keep chipping away,’ Barty said.
She will play Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova for a spot in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
‘This is unreal playing on this beautiful court in front of a packed house,’ Barty said
A packed house was at Melbourne Park to cheer on Barty, including Australia’s Prime Minister