Tennis: Multitalented Ash Barty trades racket for golf club but still a champion

Ashleigh Barty won the women's champion at the Brookwater Golf Club on Sunday, Sept 20. PHOTO: AFP

SYDNEY (REUTERS) - World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty may have decided to skip the US Open and French Open Grand Slam competitions but the coronavirus pandemic has not prevented her from collecting trophies and on Sunday (Sept 20) she was women's champion at the Brookwater Golf Club.

The 24-year-old Australian, who famously played professional cricket during a year out from tennis, decided not to leave home for Flushing Meadows in New York or her title defence at Roland Garros in Paris because of Covid-19.

Still waiting for Queensland border controls to be relaxed so she can be reunited with her tennis coach and resume training properly, Barty traded racket for club at the weekend and headed out onto the picturesque Brookwater course outside Brisbane.

The result, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), was a 7 and 5 victory in the matchplay final at the club where her boyfriend Garry Kissick is a trainee professional.

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