Amid the unpredictable swirl of this year's tennis results, with 33 different champions in 33 tournaments, Ashleigh Barty provides a change of pace.
The crafty Queenslander mixes backhand slices and drop shots with a deceptively strong serve and a knack for attacking, which is how she won the Miami Open on Saturday.
Barty had a career-high 15 aces and became the latest 2019 title winner on the WTA circuit by beating Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7-1) 6-3.
It wads Barty's fourth tennis title and the biggest of her career to improve to 18-3 this year.
At age 22, she'll rise next week to a career-high ranking of world No.9.
Barty won the Wimbledon girls' title in 2011 at age 15 but gave up tennis to play professional cricket before returning to the tour in 2016.
This year she lost in the final at Sydney, a moment she listed as the most painful in her career.
Less than three weeks later she reached her first grand slam quarter-final at the Australian Open.
"That's why I love the sport," Barty said.
"You have these amazing moments, and you have these heartbreaking moments.
"But the journey in the middle is pretty bloody good."
- AAP
