Ashleigh Barty fit for China Open after calf problem

Ashleigh Barty of Australia hits a return against Petra Martic of Croatia during their women’s singles quarter-final match at the Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan on September 26, 2019. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

Ashleigh Barty said Sunday that she expects to be fit for this week’s China Open after the Australian world number one struggled with a calf problem in Wuhan.

The 23-year-old lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in Friday’s semi-final at the Wuhan Open and needed treatment on her left calf halfway through the second set.

The French Open champion, the top seed in Beijing this week, said: “I haven’t been on court since my match in Wuhan.

“We’ll look to get on court this afternoon (for practice) and kind of test it out.

“From how it’s been going, it’s been marginally better than we expected, which is good.

“I’m sure that we’ll have no issue. It’s just about now ticking the boxes and making sure it’s alright to go.”

Barty has a bye in the first round in Beijing.