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Ashleigh Barty crowned her comeback to tennis with a first grand slam singles title by beating Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova at the French Open .
The 23-year-old Australian took a break from the game in 2014 after finding the pressure too much and spent time playing professional cricket before returning three years ago ranked outside the top 600.
She has been on an upward trajectory ever since and was totally in control of this meeting of two first-time grand slam singles finalists, winning 6-1 6-3 in just an hour and 10 minutes.
Barty, who will be ranked second in the world on Monday, is the first Australian woman to win a slam singles title since Sam Stosur at the US Open in 2011 and the first in Paris since Margaret Court in 1973.
This was a crushing end to a superb fortnight for Vondrousova, who had hoped to emulate Jelena Ostapenko's achievement of two years ago by winning the title as an unseeded player, but she will be ranked 16th on Monday and will surely have more chances at slam level.
French Open 2019 in picturesShow all 92 1 /92French Open 2019 in pictures French Open 2019 in pictures Day One The French Open got underway at Roland Garros on Sunday.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One The day kicked off the second Grand Slam of the season.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One Clear skies greeted day on in Paris.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One Action on Court Philippe Chatrier began with Angelique Kerber vs Anastasia Potapova.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One Potapova celebrates her first round victory over Kerber at the French Open
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One Kerber suffered a first-round defeat against Russian teenager Potapova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One The new Court Simonne Mathieu is surrounded by plants inside a greenhouse to blend in with its surroundings.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One Roger Federer is enjoying his underdog status
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day One
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Two
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Two Johanna Konta celebrates at the end of the match
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Two Serena Williams at wore an outfit designed by Virgil Abloh on day two at the French Open.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Two Rafael Nadal took little time to beat Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Two Nadal took the victory in straight sets.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Kyle Edmund roars in celebration of his victory over Jeremy Chardy
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Cameron Norrie suffered a disappointing first-round exit against Elliot Benchetrit
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Gael Monfils of France plays a backhand during his mens singles first round match against Taro Daniel
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three France's Adrian Mannarino reacts during his tennis match against Italy's Stefano Travaglia
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Lucas Pouille celebrates after winning against Italy's Simone Bolelli
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Daniel Evans of Great Britain shakes hands with Fernando Verdasco of Spain
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Germany's Alexander Zverev in action during his first round match against Australia's John Millman
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Romania's Simona Halep returns the ball to Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Madison Keys of the U.S. greets the crowd after winning her first round match against Russia's Evgeniya Rodina
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Three Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her ladies singles first round match against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Johanna Konta plays a forehand during her singles second-round match against Lauren Davis
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Stan Wawrinka reacts after beating Cristian Garin
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert is treated by medical staff
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Christian Garin eyes the ball as he serves to Stan Wawrinka
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Pablo Carreno Busta in action against Alex De Minaur
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Benoit Paire in action Pierre-Hugues Herbert
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Shua Zhang of China, partner of John Peers of Australia during their doubles match against Margot Yerolymos of France and Gregorie Barrere of France
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Four Roger Federer reacts after beating Oscar Otte in their second-round match
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Five Kyle Edmund suffered a second-round exit at the French Open after retiring hurt against Pablo Cuevas
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Five Edmund revealed that he has suffered from a chronic knee injury all season.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Five Pablo Cuevas is through to the third round of the French Open
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Five Serena Williams in action during her second round victory over Japan's Kurumi Nara
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Six Elise Mertens volleys during her third-round match against Anastasija Sevastova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Six Madison Keys celebrates victory during her second-round match against Priscilla Hon
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Six Kei Nishikori in action against Serbia's Laslo Djere
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Six Rafael Nadal serves during his third-round match against David Goffin
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Six Roger Federer and Casper Ruud shake hands before their third-round clash
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven Simona Halep in action against Lesia Tsurenko
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven Filip Krajinovic plays a forehand shot against Stefanos Tsitsipas
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven Alexander Zverev serves against Dusan Lajovic
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Seven
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight Roger Federer plays Leonardo Mayer
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight Johanna Konta celebrates victory during her fourth-round match against Donna Vekic
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight Rinky Hijikata during his boys junior boys singles match against Andreas Burruchaga
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece reacts during a break as he plays Stan Wawrinka
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight A spectator watches the fourth-round match between Roger Federer and Leonardo Mayer
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Eight Rafael Nadal celebrates victory during his fourth-round match against Juan Ignacio Londero
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Kamilla Bartone during her juniors girls singles match against Robin Montgomery
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Madison Keys reacts after winning her fourth-round match against Katerina Siniakova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Alexander Zverev reacts during his fourth-round match against Fabio Fognini
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Kei Nishikori of Japan plays a forehand during his fourth-round match against Benoit Paire
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day Nine Dominic Thiem celebrates after beating France's Gael Monfils
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 10 Johanna Konta returns a ball to Sloane Stephens
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 10 Sloane Stephens was beaten in straight sets by Johanna Konta
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 10 Stan Wawrinka in action against Roger Federer
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 11 All matches on day 11 of the tournament were rained off
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 11 All matches on day 11 of the tournament were rained off
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Amanda Anisimova celebrates her shock quarter-final win over Simona Halep
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Ashleigh Barty celebrates beating Madison Keys in their quarter-final match
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Simona Halep reacts during her quarter-final match with Amanda Anisimova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Novak Djokovic beat Alexander Zverev to reach the men's semi-finals
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Dominic Thiem in action against Karen Khachanov
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 12 Alexander Zverev makes a return in his match against Novak Djokovic
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Ashleigh Barty booked her place in the final of the French Open after beating Amanda Anisimova
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Johanna Konta suffered defeat at the hands of Marketa Vondrousova in the semi-finals
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Johanna Konta plays a looping shot to Marketa Vondrousova during their semi-final
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal ahead of their semi-final showdown
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Marketa Vondrousova celebrates after beating Johanna Konta
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Nadal got off to a first start against Federer.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Federer could not keep pace with his old rival.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Rafael Nadal celebrates his triumph over Federer, winning in straight sets.
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Dominic Thiem during their semi-final meeting
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Dominic Thiem celebrates reaching the men's final after beating Novak Djokovic
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Ashleigh Barty embraces Marketa Vondrousova after securing victory in the women's final
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 13 Ashleigh Barty reacts after winning the women's singles final
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Ashleigh Barty poses with The Suzanne Lenglen trophy
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Rafael Nadal plays a shot against Dominic Thiem during the men's singles final
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Dominic Thiem celebrates a point against Rafael Nadal
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Dominic Thiem plays a forehand shot
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Rafael Nadal in action during the men's final against Dominic Thiem
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Rafael Nadal celebrates securing victory in the men's singles final
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French Open 2019 in pictures Day 14 Rafael Nadal lifts the Mousquetaires Cup for a record 12th time
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While this was not the final many would have predicted, it was a meeting between two of the most in-form players of 2019.
Barty has soared into the top 10 while Vondrousova, who began the year ranked 67, has won more matches since the Australian Open than any other woman.
Hanging around for an hour and a half while the delayed men's semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem was completed would hardly have helped either of their nerves.
Vondrousova had begun very shakily in her semi-final against Johanna Konta, and it was the same again here, but this time she did not receive any help from her opponent.
Barty, who had been considered a potential slam champion on faster surfaces but not clay, was in the groove from the start, serving strongly and placing the ball confidently into the corners.
The Australian had been 5-0 up against Amanda Anisimova in the last four only to lose the first set but there was no sign of her letting her grip go here.
Vondrousova's touch-based, tactical game makes her a tricky opponent for lots of players but Barty plays a similar style and was not unsettled by the drop shots and lobs coming her way.
Vondrousova's touch deserted her (Getty) The Australian is one of the world's leading doubles players and won her first grand slam title in that format at the US Open last year with American Coco Vandeweghe.
Vondrousova desperately needed to get some kind of foothold in the match, and she dug in to hold for 1-2 in the second set.
She was at least doing a much better job of holding her serve but she was unable to make any headway on Barty's and at 3-5 found herself serving to stay in the match.
A netted forehand brought up a first match point for Barty, which she took with a simple smash before raising her arms in the air.
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