If you are looking for the essence of devastation in sport, that was Monique Barry after her first-round loss at the ASB Classic on Tuesday. 

The Kiwi wildcard wasn’t expected to win – by any stretch – as she was a $19 outsider at the TAB before the match, with a massive gulf of more than 640 ranking places between her and German opponent Ella Seidel. But she had acquitted herself well in previous appearances on this court – with a mix of fight and finesse – and was hoping for a similar level this year. 

But it didn’t happen, as she was steamrolled 6-2 6-1 by Seidel in just 62 minutes and an emotional Barry couldn’t hide her post-match disappointment. As the tears started to well up, she felt she had let herself down. 

“I know my level and it didn’t show [on Tuesday],” said Barry. “The last couple of years it has been showing. I love playing here and I love the crowd, but I just didn’t feel like anything was really working, so it’s a little bit frustrating and I wish I could have shown people a little bit more. 

Barry had her moments – but not nearly enough – though still enjoyed the supportive atmosphere on centre court. 

“I was just trying to do what I could on each point and hope to find some rhythm, but I just couldn’t find that,” said Barry. “[But] I kept trying every point and trying to find something to smile about out there.” 

Barry always faced an uphill task, coming off a difficult 2025 season. The year had started well – with the best win of her career when she beat then World No 137 Ena Shibahara in the first round of qualifying. She acquitted herself well the next day, losing in two tight sets to a player ranked just outside the top 200. 

But from there, it was tough. She accumulated a 10-27 win/loss record last year, with only one victory against a top-500 player, while her best results were quarter finals at Wagga Wagga and Mildura. Playing on the lower reaches of the ITF is a grind, though the 23-year-old has always had an admirable work ethic. 

But Tuesday was a big opportunity, in just her fourth outing at WTA level. The world No 726 Barry was broken early, before raising big cheers when she broke back with some aggressive play. But she struggled to live with the power generated by No 84 Seidel, who closed out the set in 38 minutes. 

The second bracket was more one-sided, though the Kiwi got a big cheer when she won the sixth game, after pulling out an audacious forehand volley minutes earlier. But Seidel converted her second match point, as Barry walked off court with a rueful wave. 

Despite the chastening experience, Melbourne-based Barry is determined to be back. 

“It inspires you because you want to be out there and you want to be playing that [level] all the time,” Barry said. “You just have to go back out there and work harder to try and get to that level and see what you need to do to get there. I’m going to start my preseason after this because I haven’t had much of a break this whole year since the last ASB Classic, so this is my time to go back out and train for a few weeks.” 

In the first centre court match of the day, British wildcard Katie Boulter made a solid start to the New Year after what she admitted had been a “challenging” 2025 season. Boulter was as high as No 24 in the world 12 months ago but is now 106. The 29-year-old has since changed coaches – hiring the former mentor of Maria Sharapova, Michael Joyce – and is determined to make a fresh start. She was impressive for long periods on Monday, overcoming Ukraine’s Yuliia Strarodubtseva 6-3 6-3 with a mix of power and accuracy, while also saving 11 break points. 

“There was some good tennis, obviously things to improve on, but for the first match of the season, I’m very pleased,” Boulter said. 

Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.