Tennis: World number one Ash Barty excited for the Australian Open

Ashleigh Barty, the world number one women's singles tennis player said that she will be "ready to go, ready to play," when the Australian Open starts on February 8th. The Australian home favourite has not played a competitive match since last February due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and chose not to defend her French Open title, and also decided not to take part in the US Open last year. The Gippsland Trophy and Yarra Valley Classic, two WTA 500 events set to be played simultaneously as part of the Melbourne Summer Series, will see Barty return to competitive play after an 11-month absence. Both tournaments start on January 31st and finish on February 6th.