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Ash Barty will have to prepare for a crazy time when she returns to Melbourne for next year s Australian Open, according to leading tennis commentator Sam Smith.
And while the weight of expectation has already driven Barty away from the sport once before, Smith says this time the Australian is much better equipped to handle the chaos.
When the world No.1 takes to court at Melbourne Park in January, it will be 41 years since an Australian woman has entered the tournament as the reigning Wimbledon champion.
It was a totally different Open back then, starting on Boxing Day and running through into the first week of January. Played on the grass courts of Kooyong, the draw consisted of just 56 players, rather than the 128 we re accustomed to today.