As the old saying goes, 'opposites attract'— and that couldn't be more true for Ashleigh Barty and CoCo Vandeweghe on the doubles court.
The Aussie and the American paired up in doubles for the first time this spring, and immediately reaped rewards. They won the Miami Open in March, one of the biggest WTA tour events, and are through to the semifinals at the year's final Grand Slam at the US Open.
On Tuesday, the No. 13 seeds defeated Dalila Jakupovic and Irina Khromacheva in the last eight, 6-2, 6-3, after having upset No. 3 seeds Andrea Sestini Hlavackova and Barbora Strycova in the previous round.
"We enjoy our time out here very much," Barty said, on-court after the pair's victory in Louis Armstrong Stadium. "We talk a lot of rubbish, enjoy playing together, but I think certainly we mix well together."
Vandeweghe's big hitting and big serving took her to the semifinals at the 2017 US Open, but after an ankle injury threw a wrench into her summer preparations — and played a part in her early singles exit here — she's found her footing alongside Barty this fortnight.
Well, in theory, anyway.
After Tuesday's win, the American joked: "One thing I can always do well is hit a clean ball...and luckily, Ash is here to pick up my slack with my gimpy foot."
"We talk a lot of rubbish, enjoy playing together, but I think certainly we mix well together."
Lauded for an all-court game since her junior days, Barty is Vandeweghe's polar opposite when it comes to winning tennis matches. The Aussie relies on a solid serve to start her points, and often, a textbook volley to end them.
The No. 18 seed in the singles draw, Barty reached the Round of 16 before losing to No. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova, but she has her eyes on a fifth career Grand Slam doubles final here.
"We keep it very simple: it's literally where we're going to serve and where the net person is going to move," the Aussie said, of the strategy when she and Vandeweghe come together. "I think if the point goes more than two or three shots, it's a lot about feel."
Those good feelings extend off the court, as well.
With personalities as different as their tennis, the two have been engaging in all kinds of social media banter as they've racked up the wins.
For all their differences, they'll have the same goal in mind when they take the court on Thursday: a spot in the US Open women's doubles final.
