LONDON – Top seed Ash Barty hurried into the Wimbledon third round on Thursday, dispatching Alison van Uytvanck 6-1 6-3 in 54 minutes on the All England Club's distant showcourt Two.
Barty is the woman of the moment having just won her first Grand Slam at the French Open but she and former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber were consigned to Court Two for their second-round matches while much lower ranked Britons were scheduled to play on Centre Court.
But the court did not affect the 23-year-old Australian's tennis. She sprayed winners, including two delicious lobs, and did not allow Van Uytvanck into the match until the sixth game of the first set.
Barty took the first set with a backhand that wrong-footed her opponent and wrapped up the match, played in warm sunshine, with a high backhand volley winner.
Van Uytvanck is no slouch on grass. The Belgian reached the last 16 here last year, upsetting defending champion Garbine Muguruza on the way, and she has a powerful swinging serve.
"I had to have my running shoes on," Barty said as she came off court. "I had to make sure I made a lot of returns."