Ash’s recommendation to teen prodigy for Aus Open debut
Former world No.1 Ash Barty is urging uber-talented teen Emerson Jones to embrace her first look at a grand slam slightly than be involved about outcomes.
Jones will make her debut on the Australian Open with the 16-year-old, top-ranked within the junior women’ world rankings, already drawing comparisons with three-time main champion Barty.
She banked her first win over a WTA top-50-ranked participant on the Adelaide Worldwide, the Gold Coast teenager sweeping apart China’s world No.37 Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-0 within the opening spherical.
Jones gained additional admirers with a troublesome show in her 7-5 6-3 loss to 3rd seed Daria Kasatkina within the second spherical.
Talking at Melbourne Park – the scene of her 2022 Australian Open triumph – the retired nice mentioned Jones shouldn’t attempt to be the “subsequent Barty”.
“Be the very best Emerson Jones which you could be,” was 28-year-old Barty’s recommendation to the teenager.
“Her sport has a number of creating to do. She’s solely a younger teenager, 16 years outdated, so her complete life is forward of her, her complete profession, so that is very a lot the infancy of the place she’s starting, so I’m excited for her.”
Barty, who’s pregnant along with her second child, mentioned whereas she knew Jones would wish to impress she hoped her fellow Queenslander might play with out strain on the Open and savour the expertise of a maiden slam.
“Attending to know Emo much more over the past couple of years, she’s a really pushed particular person, she’s passionate, she needs to do effectively, she’s centered, she’s skilled,” Barty mentioned.
“However I actually do assume this Australian summer time is sort of the proper alternative for her to soak all of it in with out that strain.
“She’s going to wish to do effectively and wish to play her greatest tennis however I believe it’s about giving herself the chance to embrace all of it and soak all of it in.
Emerson Jones performs a forehand. (Photograph by Mark Brake/Getty Photographs)
“I hope she’s in a position to come out at this Australian Open and play with a smile on her face, play with freedom as a result of that’s when she performs her greatest tennis, so fingers crossed she will be able to have a extremely constructive expertise whatever the consequence.”
Jones obtained a wildcard into this 12 months’s Open after some spectacular leads to 2024 which noticed her develop into the world No.1 junior – the primary Australian to attain the feat since Jelena Dokic in 1998.
Final 12 months she completed runner-up within the Australian Open women’ last to Slovak Renata Jamrichova, whereas she fell within the first spherical of Open qualifying within the girls’s singles.
Coached by Dave Taylor, who steered Sam Stosur to a US Open crown in 2011, she additionally made the ladies’ last at Wimbledon.
© AAP
