Ash Barty has already dispensed with the world No.1 and stormed into the Sydney International final four, but the no-nonsense Australian is determined not to stop there this year.
Barty will meet world No.9 Kiki Bertens in the semi-finals on Friday after defeating Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets on Thursday.
Ace: Ash Barty used her powerful serve to prevail over Belgium’s Elise Mertens.Credit:AAP
Though she did not know who her semi-final opponent would be in the aftermath of that victory, the Queenslander declared she was "very keen" to make a second consecutive final at Sydney Olympic Park and go one better than last year's straight-sets loss to defending champion Angelique Kerber.
"Obviously extremely determined," Barty said. "I had a taste of what it was like last year and I'm very keen to keep going as best that I can.
"I know I'm playing good tennis; I'm well prepared. Now it's about going out there and executing and trying to finish this week off strongly before worrying about next week."
The 22-year-old has won five of her past six matches in the Hopman Cup and in Sydney, and was happy with her year so far.
Power game: Barty looked in commanding form during her straight-sets victory on Thursday. Credit:AAP
"I feel like I have played, what, now six really good singles matches," she said. "I feel like there haven't been too many times where I have felt uncomfortable on the court.
"I've felt like I've been in control of most of them, which is really pleasing, and I think putting myself in the position towards the business end of the tournament, which is what you want to do."
The Queenslander worked hard enough for her quarter-final win, battling world No.12 Mertens game for game early in both sets before putting her serve to work to win 6-3, 6-3 in 76 minutes on Ken Rosewall Arena.
"It was a little bit of a slow start, but I was able to get the ball rolling mid to late in that first set," she said.
She was resigned to the changeable conditions, warming up in a cardigan amid unseasonably mild Sydney mid-summer conditions.
"It's a tournament [where] you always have to look at the weather for the next day to kind of prepare mentally and get yourself ready, because conditions can change dramatically," Barty said.
"When the sun's out, it's very lively. When it's not, it can be quite dead and heavy when it's more humid. It's something you have to be aware of, but it's not something that fazes me. You can play in different conditions across the world, across the whole year. Here it's just a little bit more condensed from day to day."
Barty has never lost to the higher-ranked Bertens, defeating her in straight sets at the Canadian Masters last year and in Brisbane in 2014, before her cricket sabbatical.
Earlier on Thursday, Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich defeated Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets to nab the first semi-final spot.
World No.33 Sasnovich, who made it to the quarter-finals last week in Brisbane and dispensed with Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon on Wednesday, was in control for most of the match and won 6-3, 6-3.
She will face Petra Kvitova or Angelique Kerber for a place in the final.
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