Pat Cash believes Ashleigh Barty’s gutsy semi-final display against Amanda Anisimova proves she’s ready to become the fourth Australian woman to win the French Open.
Barty will join Margaret Court, Lesley Bowrey and Evonne Goolagong on the Roland Garros honours board if she can overcome unseeded Czech left-hander Marketa Vondrousova (midnight Sunday AEST).
Cash – the coach of Barty’s doubles partner CoCo Vandeweghe, with whom she won the US Open last year – said the Queenslander’s ability to survive a first-set meltdown to pull off a three-set win over Anisimova was a sign of her new-found mental toughness.
“It was a great effort because things were getting away from her,” Cash said.
“Her tactics were spot on, but she wasn’t executing right. She was a little bit short defensively but once she got that right and her serve going she was back on track.
“Clay court tennis is pretty simple really – you get the defensive work really deep and move your opponent around where possible.
“Of course there are so many more elements to it, the wind, the crowd, the nerves, but by and large she had the bit extra to make the girl uncomfortable.”
Former Wimbeldon champion Cash felt the work Barty had done with former Richmond AFL sports psychologist Ben Crowe was crucial.
“She has been working with someone at home and that is huge,” he said.
“I am a huge believer in that and have been talking about the importance of it for ever.
“Six months ago she would have lost that match, it would have been all over, after she blew the first set.
“Full credit to her. She was in trouble but her tactics were right.
“I said the other day on Eurosport that she is going to get to win or get to a grand slam final within the next 18 months.
“But I didn’t think she was going prove my prediction right within two weeks. It’s a fantastic effort.”