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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 2, 2017

Ashleigh Barty

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

A. BARTY/A. Krunic

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Good to play, apart from the rain delay?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, absolutely. It was nice to just go out there and blow out a few cobwebs, really. The first match of the season is always tricky, especially sort of for us not having massive year last year.

It was so good to be back out here. One of my favorite courts in the world. It's just amazing to be playing at home again.

Q. How would you characterize the excitement versus nerves before stepping out on court there?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, very nervous tonight. I think part of that, though, is excitement, you know. It's nothing quite like stepping out onto your home court and playing a first night session of a premier event, first prevent event of the year.

It's really exciting for me to get a win. I feel like we played well, and everything that my coach and I spoke about, we were able to execute pretty well tonight. Now I have an exciting match coming up next.

Q. Did you surprise yourself at all tonight?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, just tackling how we were able to just hit the ground running, especially with the tricky little rain delay. It's never easy, especially when you're in front, so to be able to keep that ball rolling was really good.

Q. What's it tell you about your game, what you did last year and what you did to improve and to come back?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think it was just nice to get a lot of time on court and time off the court to grow and develop as a player and with my body, as well. It was nice to, you know, last year dip the toes in and get a taste.

We would have loved to have played more, but weren't able to. Now we're just hoping for a happy and healthy 2017, and obviously we have had a good start to the season now, so we want to just keep rolling forward.

Q. Kerber, a hell of a challenge, I guess, with her year last year?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I mean, she's No. 1 in the world for a reason. It's just a perfect way to start the summer. What an opportunity it is to test yourself against the very best.

I have never played Angie before, so it's going to be really exciting. I'm just looking forward to it.

Q. (Question about Kerber's year last year.)
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Oh, I think she obviously did a lot of hard work, and, you know, she didn't get her results just from sort of turning up and playing. She works extremely hard off and on the court and has a fantastic team around her.

I think they deserved the success they had the whole year. I think she's deservingly No. 1 in the world. It's just exciting for me to get an opportunity for me to play against No. 1. Last Australian Open, I was fortunate to play Serena. It's exciting now to get a crack at Angie.

Q. After playing the matches that you did last year and kind of getting a taste and getting back into maybe a little bit of a rhythm, once you started your preseason and started gearing up for this tournament, what was the focus with you and your coach in terms of your game and what needed to get, you know, shored up as you started?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think, for me, my preseason started in April last year. That's what it felt like, anyway. (Smiling.)

For us, we were clear on what we want to do this year. And it was just about, I think, still for me, putting in the hours and hitting enough balls to sort of bring myself back up to this level.

We had the 18 months off, and you lose a lot of time in 18 months. But it was good for me and my mind. I feel like I'm back happy and healthier and playing some good tennis at the moment.

Q. Playing a fairly full schedule? You were doing it in blocks, first up to the French Open and then off again.
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I have never played a full schedule before because of the restrictions that we had and various things.

So we would have loved to play a full season, but obviously it will be body and mind depending, a little bit, but definitely our goal is to play a full season.

Q. I notice that when you're answering these questions you're saying "we" al lot and "our." Is that a remnant of playing team sports or just always what you do?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, no. I think even in an individual sport there are a lot of people behind the scenes with what I do, and obviously my coach and my trainer play a massive role, my family, all the people that support me, my friends and everything. It's definitely a team effort.

I think it shows that in the best in the world they do typically have a large team traveling with them, because you definitely need the support. You can't do this by yourself.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, actually, it was perfect timing today. I got home and the girls were just starting, so streaming on, and I was able to leave just after the last ball.

It wasn't a good game, but they play again tomorrow. Hopefully the schedule allows me to watch again.

Q. Second top 100 win. Is that correct?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Could be? (Smiling.)

Q. Wasn't there one in Japan?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, for sort of this time around, I suppose. Yeah, but no, it's exciting. I don't really look at the rankings when I play players. I wouldn't be able to tell you really where anyone sits in that specific week, but obviously this is a premier event, so they are all quality players.

It's just exciting to get a win and build some momentum now before the Australian Open.

Q. What's gonna keep you happy?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Oh. Success. (Laughter.)

No, I think it's various things. My coach obviously knows me very well, and we can work together to sort of keep that happiness and drive on the court.

But off the court, it's simple for me. I'm a big family girl and love spending time with my families, and a bit of a puppy lover, as well. I have four dogs at home. I'm a bit worried about them tonight with the storm to see how they are.

No, I think definitely, for me, it's just working with my team and make sure we are fresh and ready for each event.

Q. What kind of dogs?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Little fluff balls. Two Maltese cross shih tzu and a shih tzu cross toy poodle, and then a little terrier sort of thing. I think collectively they are about 20 kilos, all four of them. They're not big.

Q. How did you meet Craig, your coach?
ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, actually did a few weeks with Craig when Stolts wasn't able to travel, and obviously we have had that connection through Tennis Australia. And it was, I mean, perfect timing for me during the Australian sort of summer last year just when he and Dash were sort of parting ways a little bit.

I went down to meet with Tennis Australia and speak to him about me playing again. It was sort of perfect that Ty has had a little bit of time to get on the court with me and hit a few balls and start the ball rolling.

He's such a calming influence and just perfect for me. He's very similar to Stolts, as well as Jim, my original coach. With those three guys behind me, there's not much that can go wrong, hopefully.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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