It’s Barty at the double with win over Shelby Rogers

Next up in a quarter-final is Czech Karolina Muchova, the 25th seed. In Barty’s present form, she is another box to tick. That’s not say she will approach it arrogantly, just that it’s another match she knows she can and should win.

It was not as if Rogers was likely roadkill this night. She was in just about the form of her life, having not previously lost a set in the tournament. In less than half an hour, that was redundant. Another half an hour would have made for a symmetrical outcome, except that Barty tightened up when serving for the match. She was human, after all. In fact, it’s her humanity that is so endearing.

In a way, it was as well there was no crowd on Rod Laver Arena. They would have come anticipating hours of entertainment, but Barty’s masterclass and the withdrawal of Matteo Berrettini from his match with Stefanos Tsitsipas meant that it lasted less time than most hit-ups.

Barty’s game has a timeless beauty welded to clinical study. When in a corner, there was always that backhand. Because she plays it one-handed, she can reach further and get to more. And because she mostly slices it, she leaves opponents nothing to play with. As Rogers. The subtlety means that she often dominates opponents without overpowering them. In this, there are echoes of Martina Hingis.

She kills with kindness. Rogers felt it. Everyone saw it.

Prospectively, Rogers was a tricky opponent. She has only been inside the world’s top 50 once, briefly. But since returning from a knee reconstruction two years ago that she thought might end her career, she has shown signs that at 28, her best is yet to come.

Her win-loss account is quirky. Last year at Lexington, she beat Serena Williams. In four previous visits to the Australian Open, she had won only one match – but that was against Simona Halep.

The pair had met in a preview in the Yarra Valley classic just 10 days previously, on neighbouring Margaret Court arena. Barty’s craft had won that, but only after match tie-breaker, and there was a period during the second set of that match when Rogers blew Barty off the court. Barty knew what might have been coming. She cut it off at the pass. She thinks as pretty a game as she plays.

Loading

“Sometimes you have to almost dangle a carrot in a way where you tempt her to try and take some risks,” she said. “I’ll have to do that, try all different things, just as I did last week and just as I’ve done every time that I’ve played her.”

But Rogers also made notes, too.

“I’m excited we won’t have to play a third-set breaker, because she definitely got me in that one, she kicked my butt a little bit,” she had said. “I’m excited to get another shot. Unfortunately again, you know, the fans won’t be there. But maybe that’s in my favour this time, the Barty Party won’t be present.”

Not yet. And not at all for Rogers. But it’s coming, or so it feels.