"I Deserve No.1 Ranking", Says Ashleigh Barty
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Miami Open: Ashleigh Barty retained her crown after a 6-3, 4-0 victory over Bianca Andreescu who retired hurt during the second set.
Congratulations to World No.1 Ash Barty on her 2nd #MiamiOpen title! pic.twitter.com/MMxu1jqFQA Miami Open winner Ashleigh Barty insisted she is a worthy world number one on Saturday after defeating Bianca Andreescu to retain her crown. The 24-year-old Australian star served notice of her determination to be a force this season with a 6-3, 4-0 victory as Andreescu retired with a foot injury in the second set. Barty, assured of holding on to her No.1 ranking before Saturday's final, had faced sniping from some players over her continued presence at top spot. The Queenslander has benefited from a tweak into the way rankings are calculated which takes into account the disruption caused by last year's pandemic shutdown. However, Barty shrugged off the criticism on Saturday following her Miami win, rejecting a suggestion that her latest title "proved" she deserved her No.1 status. Barty said: "I never have to prove anything to anyone... I know all the work that I do with my team behind the scenes... I know there has been a lot of talk about the ranking, but I didn't play at all last year and I didn't improve any of my points whatsoever."More Related News