"She made me play my best tennis": Ashleigh Barty on Iga Swiatek after reaching finals of Adelaide International 2022

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty admitted that Iga Swiatek made her play her "best tennis" during her semi-finals clash against her at the Adelaide International 2022. Calling the Pole an "exceptional champion," Barty felt that both of them exhibited some great skills on the court.

Barty advanced through to the finals of the Adelaide International 2022 after steamrolling over Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Australian dominated the entire match, maintaining a whopping 71% win percentage on her second serve during the match.

Interestingly, Iga Swiatek failed to break even once in the course of the entire match. In comparison, Barty capitalized on three break-points out of the five that she earned and won a total of 41 service points in the match.

Ashleigh Barty at the Adelaide International 2021

In the post-match interview, Barty highlighted that it is an "unreal" feeling for her to reach the finals of yet another WTA tournament. In addition, she claimed that she had a lot of "fun" playing against Iga Swiatek.

"This is unreal. Honestly, it's so much fun playing here tonight and Iga is an exceptional champion. She made me play my best tennis and I felt we both played pretty well. So, I had a lot of fun out here with her..."said Barty in the interview.

Barty disclosed that Swiatek has the ability to "steal" her opponent's positioning and takes that chance as soon as she gets the opportunity to do so. The Australian claimed that she managed to neutralize that by maintaining a balance in her "running and moving" on the court.

"Iga has the ability to take over the clue and steal your positioning. As soon as she had a chance, she had to take the initiative. I felt a good balance in running and moving and neutralizing. When I had some time, I was able to create with my right hand," added the World No. 1 player.

Ashleigh Barty to lock horns against Elena Rybakina in the finals of the Adelaide International 2022

Ashleigh Barty will encounter Elena Rybakina in the finals for her first WTA title of the 2022 tennis season on Sunday. Having already beaten the likes of Shelby Rogers and Misaki Doi, Rybakina can prove to be a threat for the Australian in the finals.

Ashleigh Barty at the Adelaide International 2022

Head-to-head, Barty maintains a 2-0 lead over Rybakina. The two-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed an easy victory over the Kazakh player at the 2020 Australian Open. She got a walkover when the two next met at the Qatar Open in the very same year.

In her post-match interview after the match, Barty also spoke extensively about Rybakina, highlighting that she "loves to control the center of the court." She also revealed that the Kazakh player likes to "dominate" on her serve. Thus, Barty stressed she needs to perform well in her service games and "play aggressively" against Rybakina.

Elena Rybakina at the Adelaide International 2022

“Rybakina loves to control the center of the court. She will seek to dominate the service. This will allow her to play more freely than the rest. It is important for me to take care of my games in service and to have the feeling of freedom, and to continue to play aggressively when I have the opportunity," mentioned Barty.

Barty and her compatriot Storm Sanders will also fight for the doubles title against the pair of Darija Jurak Schreiber and Andreja Klepac at the Adelaide International 2022 on Sunday.