Ash Barty suffers Wimbledon meltdown, Daria Gavrilova admits she ‘played scared’

[Nergal]

AUSTRALIA’s search for its next Wimbledon women’s singles championships will push into a 39th year after Daria Gavrilova joined Ashley Barty in exiting the tournament.

Gavrilova was the last Australian female to bow out, departing 6-3 6-1 at the hands of Aliaksandra Sasnovich, of Belarus.

Evonne Goolagong-Cawley remains Australia’s most recent winner here, triumphing in 1980.

The Victorian struggled throughout on serve in steamy conditions, winning just two of eight service games.

BARTY SUFFERS STUNNING WIMBLEDON MELTDOWN
ASH Barty has blown a golden grand slam opportunity, tumbling out of Wimbledon with a surprisingly untidy loss to Daria Kasatkina.

The Queenslander won four of the first games — but then lost 12 of the following 16 — in a error-laden 7-5 6-3 defeat.

Bidding to become the first Australian women since Jarmila Wolfe in 2010 to reach the All England Club’s fourth round, Barty was desperately disappointing.

“Frustrating today, for sure, disappointing to lose,” Barty, the 17th seed, said.

“It just wasn’t my day in the end, I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do.

“I felt like my slice wasn’t as effective as I wanted it to be, couldn’t put it in the positions of the court that I wanted it to.

“It was generally a pretty frustrating day.

“I gave her way too many cheapies and way too many balls in the court where she wanted.

“It’s frustrating now, it’s pretty raw. But it’s been a positive season, both through the clay and the grass.

“It’s a tough one to swallow but we’ll move on.”

The winner of more grass court matches this season — 12 — than any other woman, Barty imploded.

She lost serve five times and made 24 unforced errors, numbers not usually associated with the classy Australian.

Barty sped to a commanding 4-1 lead after breaking Kasatkina in the second game to dominate — before suddenly ceding control.

Losing five of the next six games, Barty was sabotaged by a misfiring backhand to surprisingly trail by a set after 40 gruelling minutes in sweltering heat.

The 2011 Wimbledon junior champion, Barty’s frustrations grew early in the second set when luck favoured the aggressive Russian.

Kasatkina saved a break point in the fourth game with a net cord winner after Barty slipped on worn turf behind the baseline.

The incident summed up the pair’s contrasting fortunes and, when Barty’s crisis worsened in the fifth game with another service lapse, the match was slipping away.

Desperate for a foothold, Barty reclaimed a break to level at 3-all.

But her renaissance ended there as Kasatkina steamed into the last 16 with seven aces, 17 winners and just 17 unforced errors.

GAVRILOVA ADMITS SHE TRIED TO PLAY SAFE
DARIA Gavrilova says she “played scared” after plunging to harrowing third-round Wimbledon defeat.

The 26th seed was railroaded into a 6-3 6-1 upset by Aliaksandra Sasnovich, of Belarus, confessing she malfunctioned mentally.

“I think mentally I wanted it too much, and I played scared,” the Victorian said.

“I didn’t go after my shots. Just next time I need to overcome that, because clearly playing scared doesn’t win you matches.

“I did a similar thing in Paris (French Open), and next time I just have to go after it and, yeah, overcome my fears, I guess.

“She (Sasnovich) was up for it. She uses all different shots. She’s got a great feel.

“But I expected that. She just took it, and I was trying to play safe.”

Gavrilova revealed she had sought help for the problem but is no longer working with a sports psychologist.

Gavrilova’s and Ash Barty’s exits extends Australia’s Wimbledon women’s singles drought into a championships will push into a 39th year.

Unusually flat, Gavrilova struggled throughout on serve in steamy conditions, winning just two of eight service games.

With just two aces and 10 double faults, the 26th seed compounded the misery with a mere seven winners and 27 unforced errors.

She was also reported by a linesperson to umpire Marijana Veljovic for a suspected audible obscenity.

Gavrilova denies swearing out loud.

“She said that I swore, but I actually didn’t,” Gavrilova said.

“I said to my coach (Jarryd Maher) that I need to play brave … I was talking non-stop.

“But I didn’t swear. Under my breath maybe. Once. No one heard it.”

Sasnovich will face French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the quarter-finals.

With world No 1 Simona Halep’s 3-6 6-4 7-5 loss to Hsieh Su-Wei, there is only one surviving grand slam winner — Angelique Kerber — left in the top half of a depleted draw.