Sunday, 21 January 2018:
Shattered Ashleigh Barty can console herself with a fresh career-high ranking after her "unbelievable" summer came to a shuddering halt at Melbourne Park.
Barty is projected to rise to 15th in the world after following up her charge to the Sydney International final with a third-round Australian Open showing.
But the 21-year-old was unable to hide her abject disappointment at letting slip a huge opportunity to reach the second week of a grand slam for the first time.
Barty was blown off the court by big-hitting - but unseeded - Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka, just as a shot at wounded and weary world No.1 Simona Halep beckoned.
"It wasn't a good day at the office for me," Barty said after the 6-4 6-2 shellacking.
"I'm pretty shattered and it's a missed opportunity only because we've done well to get here and would have loved to have gone further.
"But we've still had a pretty unbelievable summer."
Barty was ranked 153rd when she departed Melbourne this time last year, but is now being earmarked as a grand slam champion in waiting.
While stung by her loss, the Queenslander wasn't about to lose sight of her achievements over the past 12 months.
After landing her maiden WTA title last year in Kuala Lumpur, Barty soared to world No.17 in November with a semi-final berth at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
The former Wimbledon junior champion was rewarded with the 2017 Newcombe Medal as Australia's most outstanding player of the year before raising hopes of an Open title tilt with her foray in Sydney.
Her Open exit was not without controversy.
After thriving on Rod Laver Arena in back-to-back comeback wins in her opening two matches, Barty had again been scheduled to play on centre court against Osaka.
But a backlog of matches on the marquee court meant their clash was shifted to the smaller Margaret Court Arena.
Osaka described the shift in courts - and subsequent reduction in home support - as "good for me" but Barty refused to buy into suggestions it might have influenced the outcome.
"That had nothing to do with it," Barty said.
"I had phenomenal support in Margaret Court Arena as well. It's probably a little bit of a late change for everyone to know but it was still a very full crowd.
"I enjoyed playing out there. I would have loved to have come off as a winner but it wasn't meant to be."
Barty will lead Australia in next month's Fed Cup tie against Ukraine in Canberra before contesting tournaments in the Middle East, Indian Wells and Miami.
"It's really about maintaining my spot in the top 20, solidifying my spot, continuing to play good tennis, do the right things on and off the court," she said.
"I would love to make the second week of a slam. We're close. We'll keep chipping away."
