By Phil Lutton
World number one Angelique Kerber was given a scare in her first outing at the Brisbane International after being pushed to three sets by Queenslander Ash Barty.
The defending Australian Open champion was given anything but a soft landing in her 2017 debut, with Barty taking the second set before the German regained the ascendancy to win 6-3 2-6 6-3.
World number one Angelique Kerber was taken to three sets at the Brisbane International on Wednesday night.Credit: Bradley Kanaris
Barty, the world 271 and still just 20 years old, was a Wimbledon junior champion but quit the WTA Tour in 2015 after struggling to deal with the constant demands of touring and competing.
She played a season of cricket for the Brisbane Heat in the Women's Big Bash League before returning to the court with a new passion for the game.
Ash Barty took a break from the tour in 2015.Credit: Bradley Kanaris
Against Kerber, she showed why it was the right decision, matching it with the two-times Grand Slam winner for large parts of the contest before the German's class and experience prevailed in the deciding set.
On a day where Serena Williams was a shock loser at a tournament in Auckland, Barty's second set fightback gave Brisbane organisers a fright as the top two players in the world stood to fall early in their prospective events.
While Kerber ensured that didn't unfold, the win didn't come easily.
Even down 5-2 in the final set, Barty was rattling off the kind of classy shots that stamp her as a major player should she continue to rise through the singles ranks.
"Ashley was playing unbelievably well today. I was trying to play my best tennis, actually. I wish her all the best. I'm sure she will play well for the rest of the season. She will have great results this year for sure," Kerber said.
Kerber's quarter-final opponent is sixth seed Elina Svitolina from the Ukraine.