Brilliant Ash Barty in a tennis bubble all of her own after reaching Madrid final

Australian beats Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 in semi-final
No 1’s winning streak on red clay extends to 16 matches

Ash Barty is living in a bubble at the moment – and appears to be playing in a world of her own too. Australia’s extraordinary champion has made it to another major final, successfully negotiating the difficulties of another confined, bio-secure sporting event to stand on the brink of a fourth triumph of the year at the Madrid Open.

After defeating Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 in Thursday’s semi-final to spoil the fun of the crowds returning to the Caja Magica, Barty was asked if she had had any chance to go sightseeing in one of Europe’s finest cities.