Australian Barty beats Pliskova for Miami Open title

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Ashleigh Barty had 15 aces and became the 33rd different player to win a title in as many ATP and WTA tournaments this year when she beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (1), 6-3 on Saturday in the final of the Miami Open.

The 22-year-old Australian, who was seeded 12th, won her fourth title and the biggest of her career. She improved to 18-3 this year and will rise next week to career-high ranking of No. 9.

Barty won with a dominating serve and wide variety of shots from the baseline, repeatedly extending rallies with scrambling defense. She was broken just once and won 32 of 37 first-serve points.

Barty became the fifth different Miami Open women’s champion in the past five years, and she’s the 14th different WTA titlist in 2019.

Roger Federer could become tennis’ first repeat champion this year when he plays John Isner in the men’s final Sunday. Federer won Dubai early this month.

Barty won a 14-stroke rally with a nifty backhand drop shot to go ahead 2-1 in the tiebreaker, and she was ahead the rest of the way. She outlasted Pliskova in a 20-point game to break at the start of the second set, smacked three consecutive aces for a 3-1 lead, and won eight of the final nine points.

Among her most acrobatic shots was a leaping overhead winner struck while backpedaling in pursuit of a lob. And her serve was superior even though Pliskova is eight inches taller at 6-foot-1.

Barty won the Wimbledon girls’ title in 2011 at age 15, but gave up tennis to play professional cricket in Brisbane. She returned to the tour in 2016 and reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year’s Australian Open.