b'SPORTS MODE The Barty PartyThecrowdstillcheered,appreciatedher27 of 365 days at home in Queensland. ShebumpedoutatWimbledononherfavourite endeavour and Barty left the court waving towas missing home, she quit tennis and in asurfacegrassbutnotbeforegainingthe her adoring fans and a standing ovation. wave of publicity to play BIG BASH cricket forcoveted number one ranking, the diminutive The fact, that Bartys whole world didnt comethe Brisbane Heat in the inaugural WomensQueenslander was now officially the best in crashing down because of a loss wasnt goodSeason. Barty had never played cricket at athe world. enough for some. junior level, but made 39 runs off 27 deliveries in her debut match.THE AFTER BARTY PARTYHIATUSBIG BASHBy the end of the cricket season, she had moreInthecurrentlandscapeofwomens Barty wasnt exactly born with racquet in hermodestreturnsandhersabbaticalhadthetenniswheretheathleteisexactlythatan hand,anddidnthavepushyparents.Butdesired result her love for tennis had returned.athlete.Bartysopponentsoftentowerover since the age of four Barty played tennis andher,imposingfigureswithfreakishpower, instantlyhadanaturaltalentwithsuperiorRESURGENCEhand-eye co-ordination.thunderingserves,boomingdoublehanded Maybe we all need a year-off, a sabbatical,backhands and blinding forehands. Growingupintheworking-classtownofbecause the break proved the making of Barty. Ipswich outside of Brisbane, Barty quickly grewShe hit the tennis courts again in the 2016But at 166cm tall, this dynamo refuses to be a reputation as one to watch and it wasnt longSeason and with a renewed love of the sportintimidated and is up for the fight. before she was beating boys many years olderher game quickly went to another level. She thanherinlocaltournaments.Afewyearswon her first WTA singles crown in MalaysiaInfact,itappearsshesgotlifewiredand later she was a Junior Wimbledon Champion.and was climbing the rankings with a bullet.totally in perspective. Theres a lot to admire about her shell be right mate attitude. We But in 2014, the love for tennis was missing andThe summit was reached with a Grand Slamcan probably all do with a bit of it.life on the road wasnt so glamorous for Barty.victory at the French Open last year, including Ash revealed the previous year she spent onlya15-matchwinningsequencebeforebeingLet the Barty Party rock-on.Terry Kennedy co-host of Big Sports Breakfast, Host on Sky Racing, Sunday Serve panelist Nine Networkand proud ambassador of Mercedes-Benz Parramatta.URBANDRIVER27'