Calling it the Barty effect might take too much credit away from Olivia Gadecki, the Australian rising star Ash Barty is mentoring.
But it sure helps having the defending Australian Open champion in your corner.
Queensland wildcard Olivia Gadecki made a sensational start to her grand slam career on Monday, breezing past Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-1 to be the Open’s first local winner.
Gadecki, 20, did not face a break point until she was a set and 4-0 up, possibly owing to her seeing the finish line – but she swatted away a forehand drive volley to emphatically save it and was soon one game from victory.
Displaying nerves of steel, the world No.199 completed victory with an ace before raising her arms in triumph and embracing her mother courtside.
Gadecki missed last year’s Australian Open because she did not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but she had already been ushered into her country’s Billie Jean King Cup squad by then and identified as a major part of its future.
She is one of only five Australian women in the Open’s main draw after Ajla Tomljanovic’s withdrawal on Saturday, on top of Barty’s retirement and Daria Saville recovering from a second ACL setback.
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