Pressure cranks up as Barty reaches first Australian Open semi-final

Ashleigh Barty said Tuesday that she prefers the quiet life but there is no chance of that after Australia's world number one reached the semi-finals of her home Grand Slam for the first time.

The top seed plays 14th-seeded American Sofia Kenin in the last four after surviving a tough first set to defeat Petra Kvitova 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 in the quarter-finals.

There is intense pressure on the 23-year-old Barty, the last remaining Australian in the tournament, to deliver the first homegrown women's champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978.

She is the face of the Australian Open and her picture is on billboards all over Melbourne.

But Barty said: "I'd prefer to just be sitting at home just living my quiet little life.

"I mean, no offence, but not having to chat to you guys every day would be pretty good," she told reporters, smiling.

"I feel like I have nothing to say, I'm talking in circles a little bit." But Barty said having the focus on her in Melbourne was inevitable and "a part of the journey that I hate it and I love it".

Beating the Czech seventh seed Kvitova was revenge for Barty, who was beaten by the two-time Wimbledon champion at the same stage last year.

But the down-to-earth Australian is a better player than 12 months ago, winning the French Open last year and hitting the top of the rankings for the first time.

- 'Exceptional competitor' -
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