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Ashleigh Barty’s transformation is complete after she defeated seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 7-6 (1) 6-3, on Saturday to win the biggest singles title of her career at the WTA Miami Open.
A 22-year-old Australian, Barty quit tennis five years ago after finding the mental grind of the tour too much to bear, turning to professional cricket in a bid to find sporting happiness.
She knew, however, that she had the tennis skills to compete at the very top, and after returning in February 2016, has taken her career to an elite level, culminating in her first title in a WTA Premier Mandatory event since the United States Open doubles crown she won last fall.