After an 18-month sabbatical, including a brief stint as a cricketer in the Women’s Big Bash League, few knew what to expect from Ash Barty when she returned to her home tournament as a wild card last year.
After pushing then world No.1 Angelique Kerber to three sets in the second round of the Brisbane International, it was only a hint at what lay in store for the year ahead.
Ranked a lowly No.272 in the world, Barty pushed the German dual grand slam champion all the way on Pat Rafter Arena.
Twelve months on, the 23-year-old enters the tournament as the No.8 seed, after a stellar 2017 season, which saw her rise to No.17 in the world.
“With a few withdrawals I’ve been able to sneak a seed,” a modest Barty said of her first seeding at a Brisbane International.
In a field boasting eight fellow top-20 players, and a past champion in qualifying, Barty expects a tough draw from round one.
“It’s a hell of a tournament,” she said, while taking in the sites of her hometown from atop the Story Bridge. “It’s this tournament’s strongest year … and the perfect preparation for the Australian summer.”
Born and raised in Ipswich, Barty took time off from the tour in 2015 and 2016, trying her hand as a professional cricketer, before returning to the gruelling travel commitments of the WTA Tour.
She loves playing in Brisbane and hopes the hometown support will buoy her chances.
“My friends and family come to every match they can,” she said. “Hopefully they can help me get my teeth stuck into the event.”
Barty’s meteoric rise in 2017 saw her step out of Sam Stosur’s shadow and take up the mantle as Australia’s top-ranked woman.
She won her first WTA singles title in Malaysia, made the French Open doubles final with fellow Aussie Casey Dellacqua and went on to defeat Kerber, as well as other top players Venus Williams, Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta.
In recognition of her standout year she was awarded the Newcombe Medal.
“It was a phenomenal year,” Barty said. “We played great tennis throughout the whole year and it’s exciting to start my year at home in Brisbane.”