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Unbreakable Barty strolls into last 16

  • Matt Trollope

With her victory on Friday night over Camila Giorgi, Ash Barty is starting to build some absurdly good streaks. 

MORE: All the scores from Day 5 at AO 2022

The world No.1 was far too steady for the power-hitting Italian, cruising to a 6-2 6-3 win in a tidy 61 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.

Barty is in sublime form, and she's going to need to be, given her win sets up a fourth-round showdown with a resurgent Amanda Anisimova.

The young American saved two match points to stun defending champion Naomi Osaka at Margaret Court Arena, just half an hour after Barty had dissected Giorgi on Laver.

MORE: AO 2022 women's singles draw

It will be a rematch of their dramatic Roland Garros semifinal of 2019, which Barty won in three sets before going on to capture her first major title.

Barty entered her third-round encounter having never lost to Giorgi, and she improved her head-to-head against the 30-year-old to 4-0.

In doing so, she has now won seven consecutive matches, and 14 consecutive sets.

And in perhaps the most impressive stat of all, she has held serve 57 consecutive times, a streak dating back to her opening-round win at this year's Adelaide International – a tournament she went on to win. 

With her serve on song, victory never looked in doubt for Barty

"I thought tonight was really clean," said Barty, who is yet to taste defeat in 2022.

"I did well to get out of a really tricky (game) being 0-40 down (in the first set) and I think I was just able to keep that momentum going, make returns when it mattered most in important moments and overall, pretty good performance I think.

"The way that she hits the ball and can control the centre of the court is incredible. It was my job tonight to try and get her off that baseline, whether it was short, deep, or out of her strike zone."

Barty and Giorgi's last meeting also came at the Australian Open, in 2018. Back then, Barty battled to triumph in three sets.

It was a far more straight-forward affair on Friday night.

The analysis was simple: Barty's shots had superior consistency and margin, at the same time neutralising Giorgi's weapons, which are an ability to take balls early, and strike them for clean winners.

For someone who relies on her ability to out-play and over-power opponents, Giorgi managed just five winners for the entire first set. Sixteen unforced errors, on the other hand, unwound her.

The only trouble Barty faced came in that game seventh game she referenced, when she faced four break points and came perilously close to seeing that service-hold streak snapped.

But she escaped from that hole, and simply had to maintain what she was doing as the second set commenced.

Barty faces Anisimova next for a spot in the final eight

She did, playing her forehand heavy and deep into awkward positions of the court, and knifing her slice low and slow. 

Giorgi didn't like it.

And with Barty's serve in such a delightful groove, she streaked through her service games, winning 100 per cent of points when she landed her first serve.

When the time came to step up to the line to serve out the match, she held to love. 

Barty returns to the fourth round at her home Slam for the fourth consecutive year. Looking refreshed, re-energised, and in control, another deep run at Melbourne Park could be in store.

But first, Anisimova on Sunday.