Ashleigh Barty’s second-round outing at Rod Laver Arena has come in welcome contrast to her first under lights, with the top seed posting a straight-sets victory over Polona Hercog.
In warm but cloudy conditions, the home hope looked composed from the outset on Wednesday, fending off break points in her final three service games to emerge with a 6-1 6-4 result.
Raising her racquet to applaud a standing ovation, Barty paid special tribute to her team, her family and the yellow Vegemite-themed Barty Army in the stands.
“Obviously today was very special,” Barty told her long-term friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua.
“It was a clean match, really happy to get out of that one.
“It was very different end to end – wind played a massive factor.
“Polona has the ability to hit you off the court so … it was about me making as many balls as I could and I was able to save a few break points in the second set as well.
“I love those – I should say Bartymite anyway [the Barty Army] – obviously my team is massive … it’s nice to have everyone here.”
The 23-year-old’s first-round outing as the world No.1 at the Australian Open could be likened to cracking the perforated seal beneath a yellow Vegemite jar lid – tricky early on under pressure, but straightforward once the initial seal was broken.
After that three-set triumph over Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, her two sets against Hercog must have felt more like the next two phases of applying that spread from the freshly opened jar.
Her opening set resembled the smooth and seamless gathering of the Vegemite on the knife.
The 48th-ranked Hercog was struggling on serve, throwing in two double faults to surrender the double break and Barty secured the opening set in just 26 minutes on the Slovenian’s netted backhand.
But the second set came with the heightened challenge of applying the Vegemite spread, careful not to tear the freshly sliced bread.
Hercog was aiming for her first win over a top-five ranked opponent and she was not without her chances.
Again she pressed as she conjured break points for the chance to serve out the set, but again Barty was up to the test, saving the second with a forehand winner, which caught the baseline.
It was a crucial hold as the Australian landed the first break of the second set in the following game and fended off further break points to book her place in the third round after 68 minutes.
“I think you feel more comfortable every day,” Barty said.
“Every time you're able to win a match, you have another opportunity to try and be that little bit better, to try to be that little bit more sharp and clean.
“I felt like I started a lot better today, and then the second set, as well, was able to get out of some sticky service games towards the end of the set there.”
The win sets up a third-round encounter with rising Kazakh 29th seed Elena Rybakina or Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
And for all the constant hype carrying the nation’s hopes, it was left to Barty’s good friend, Dellacqua, to remind the crowd the character of the person behind the world’s No.1 ranking.
“You’re still the same Ash,” Dellacqua said.
“I don’t know why I’m shaking, but you’re still the same Ash.”