Bartashevich marches on in Melbourne: 'I came here to win'

The clock had just ticked past the one-hour mark of the first set on Monday morning when France’s Yaroslava Bartashevich saved her seventh set point in her second round encounter with Zara Larke in the girls' singles at the Australian Open Junior Championships.

Shortly after, Bartashevich’s second set point was all it to took to seal the mammoth tie-break 13-11. Fifty-four minutes later she had clinched the match, 7-6(11) 6-4 against Australian wild card Larke. 

“I was thinking play the ball, play the ball and try to stay in there,” said Bartashevich of the tight tie-break. “I was nervous beforehand.”

Any edginess on the part of the 14th seed was not obvious however as her baseline game restricted and then overpowered Larke.

“My serve is really good," she said. "It’s not the power but it’s a case of getting it in. I served two double faults early on but that was it.”

And did she target the Aussie backhand? “Yes, she was hitting some really good forehands.”

Such tactical thinking is the least you would expect of the Moscow-born player who emigrated to Paris two years ago to be near her long-time coach Gilles Glamisch (he’s ‘very good’ she says) and now represents France.

And how's her French? Top notch says the 17-year-old, whose first language is Russian and whose English is fluent also. She is though, confident and personable whatever the language and while far from boastful, does not lack self belief. 

Do you fancy your chances at this Australian Open?

“I came here to win,” she says.

It is her second time in Melbourne, though the 2022 Australian Open, while an experience, did not end quite the way she planned.

“It was hot, I got sunstroke on court. I played two matches in one day.”

Won one, lost one?

“No, I lost them both," she said, smiling as she recalls her second round singles and doubles exits.

Further disappointment followed when fellow Moscovite Daniil Medvedev lost in the men’s singles final. She likes Paola Badosa too - and is sad she is injured - but is pleased that the Novak Djokovic drama of 12 months ago is behind him.

In short, Bartashevich is a deeply rounded character.

Currently in her last year of schooling, she wants to go to university but not on a sports scholarship to America. “I want to play tournaments,” she says.

Next up in the last 16 is her best friend, Russia’s Alevina Ibragimova, not that there'll be a great deal of sentiment on the day.

“I just focus on winning the match,” she says.

Elsewhere No. 2 seed, the Czech Tereza Valentova (another engaging soul at just 15-years-old) saw off Australian Emerson Jones on court 16, where Jones’ elder brother Hayden had lost his first round match 18 hours earlier. (It is a sporting family, mum Loretta Jones is an Olympic silver medalist in the triathlon.)

The highest-placed player left in the girls’ draw, Valentova has played six sets in her two matches to-date but is unfazed by any external pressures.

“The crowd was supporting her. I was nervous at the beginning, I am playing here at the AO, I was telling myself. I just wanted to play my game.”

And which she did, very well, to win 4-6 6-3 6-1.

All being well Valentova will meet Bartashevich in the last four.