World number one Ashleigh Barty underlined her Australian Open credentials by claiming victory at the Adelaide International 1 warm-up event.
The Wimbledon champion eased past seventh seed Elena Rybakina 6-3 6-2 on Sunday to wrap up her 14th WTA singles title in just 64 minutes.
Australian Barty is favourite to triumph on home soil when the first grand slam of 2022 begins in Melbourne a week on Monday.
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! 🏆 🏆 🏆
World No.1 @ashbarty wins her third career title on home soil 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/W4c8CvDLmt— wta (@WTA) January 9, 2022
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“I feel good leading up to an Australian Open, like I have every year,” said Barty, according to wtatennis.com.
“Each and every preparation is unique, each and every preparation is different, so we take it for what comes and what it is, move on, try and do the best that we can in every opportunity, whether that’s here in Adelaide or it’s in Melbourne.
“It has absolutely no effect on the way that I prepare or the way I’m thinking leading forward just because it’s a grand slam.
“We look forward, we do what we can, then we see how we go.”
Your Melbourne Summer Set 1 CHAMPION! 🏆@Simona_Halep | #MelbourneTennis pic.twitter.com/r5pM1jbvs6
Advertisement— wta (@WTA) January 9, 2022
Elsewhere, there were titles for two-time grand slam champion Simona Halep and America’s Amanda Anisimova.
Former French Open and Wimbledon winner Halep defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6-2 6-3 in the final of the Melbourne Summer Set 1.
The 30-year-old endured an injury-disrupted 2021, completing only nine of 13 tournaments amid calf and knee issues and dipping out of the top 20 for the first tie since 2013.
“The body is great, I feel good,” said 2018 Australian Open finalist Halep. “I had a tough five matches, and my body is good. I don’t feel that tired. Physically I’m in the right place.
Raise it high 🏆@AnisimovaAmanda | #MelbourneTennis pic.twitter.com/OMqWSnNU03
— wta (@WTA) January 9, 2022
“Confidence is growing. I feel confident. I feel that I have the game to win matches.”
Earlier, 20-year-old Anisimova became the first WTA singles champion of 2022 after overcoming Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Melbourne Summer Set 2 final.
The world number 78 was down a break in the deciding set but won 7-5 1-6 6-4 to add to the Claro Open Colsanitas title she won in 2019 in Bogota.
