- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
Flawless Barty employs serve as 'weapon' in Australian Open quest
Top seed Ashleigh Barty said Wednesday she had been working hard to make her serve "a weapon" and it paid off as she raced into the Australian Open third round with another near-flawless performance.
The Australian world number one is in ominous early-season form and was laser-focused on Rod Laver Arena against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti, her second qualifier in a row, crushing the Italian 6-1, 6-1 in just 52 minutes.
Barty launched her bid for a maiden Australian Open title in emphatic fashion on Monday, annihilating Lesia Tsurenko for the loss of one game in 54 minutes.
Her serve has been untouchable all year. She is now unbeaten in six matches to start the 2022 season after winning the Adelaide International and has not lost a service game for five straight matches.
"Just continually trying to make it a weapon," she said of her serve.
"I'm not the biggest girl out there, but I know I've got a sound technique and I know if I can get my rhythm right and use it effectively, it can be a weapon.
"I think Tyz (coach Craig Tyzzer) and I put a lot of emphasis on my serve, I always have," she added.
"As a kid, I was always serving baskets and baskets of serves to try to create that weapon, try to create a really sound shot.
"I think I've just been able to find some good rhythm and a big part of that is protecting my second serve when I need to do as well.
"I thought I've done a pretty good job of that over the last half dozen matches or so."
Wimbledon champion Barty has been the top-ranked player for 111 consecutive weeks and her little-known 23-year-old opponent, ranked 142 and in her first Grand Slam, never stood a chance.
She held serve then broke Bronzetti to love on a centre court bathed in sunshine.
Bronzetti only hit one winner in the opening five games before finally getting off the mark with a service hold, ahead of the Australian banking the set in 26 minutes.
The Italian held again to start the second set on a positive note but was broken in her next service game and the set followed a similar script.
Barty will face a tougher task on Friday in the last 32 where experienced 30th seed Camila Giorgi awaits after the Italian beat Czech Tereza Martincova 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).
"It's going to be a match where I'm going to have to serve well, bring in variety, make sure I can cover the court, neutralise the best that I can," said Barty of Giorgi.
"She has the ability to hit you off the court without realising it's happening. I think it's going to be another match with some fresh challenges."
F.Dubois--AMWN