MIAMI — The heat and humidity this time of year in South Florida remind Ash Barty of what conditions can be like in her native Australia. She loves it.
The world’s top-ranked player didn’t wilt in the conditions Tuesday at the Miami Open, winning the final nine points to finish off No. 7 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in a quarterfinal matchup — her third three-set win in four matches in this tournament.
The temperature reached the mid-80s Fahrenheit (upper 20s Celsius) on Tuesday, and the humidity made it feel even hotter, especially without any shade on the court. Barty and Sabalenka got a 10-minute heat break before starting the third set, though the defending Miami champion from when the event was last held two years ago looked like she didn’t need much downtime.
Barty faced seven break points in the match and saved them all. She’ll meet either No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina or Anastasija Sevastova in the semifinals; they will play later Tuesday in their quarterfinal matchup.
Barty is now 18-3 in her last 21 three-setters, 10-1 in her last 11 quarterfinal matches and 12-3 in her last 15 meetings against fellow top-10 players.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.