Ash Barty has moved one step closer to her first Australian Open title, defeating Jessica Pegula in straight sets.
The Australian was clinical from start to end, winning the quarterfinal 6-2, 6-0.
The loss marked the end of a strong run at the tournament for the 27-year-old Buffalo native Pegula, who knocked out fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari in the fourth round.
Barty converted five of her nine break-point opportunities during the match, while only giving her opponent one break-point opportunity.
She notably broke Pegula's serve on the opening game of each set, setting the tone from the get-go. The 25-year-old won the last nine games to cap off a dominant display.
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Speaking after the match, Barty was humble as usual.
"That was solid tonight," Barty said. "I had a lot of fun out here. I was able to serve and find a lot of forehands in the centre of the court and I was happy to take the game on.
"Be aggressive off my forehand, not worry if I miss a couple, as long as I’m doing the right things. I feel like I was able to do that throughout the whole match."
Home-crowd favorite Barty will be making her second appearance in the semifinals of the Australian Open following her run in 2020.
Although she is not placing too much pressure on herself, she feels as if she has matured since then.
"I mean, I’ve grown as a person, as a player," Barty said. "I feel like I’m a more complete tennis player. I’ve obviously got a couple more years’ experience in my belt in handling different situations and being able to problem-solve out on court.
"I think it’s a credit to my team. They’ve done so much work with me behind the scenes to make the best version of myself. I’m loving playing out here. It’s bringing a smile to my face, regardless of what is happening during the points. Hopefully there’s a little bit more left."
Ash Barty will now face Madison Keys in the semifinals. The American has enjoyed a strong campaign thus far despite coming into Melbourne Park as an unseeded player.
Keys upset fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-2 earlier Tuesday.
This will be the third player from the United States that Barty has faced this tournament, following wins over Pegula and Amanda Anisimova.
Her match with Keys is set to take place on Thursday. Barty has a 2-1 record against Keys ahead of what is likely to be an exciting encounter.