Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty - "Many Australian players dream of this"
Ashleigh Barty is in the final of the Australian Open. The Australian wants to fulfill a childhood dream on Saturday.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jan 27, 2022, 06:14 pm
6-0, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3. Ashleigh Barty's set record at the Australian Open 2022 reads impressively. The Australian has only spent six hours and six minutes on the court in six matches so far, and on Thursday she didn't give Madison Keys a chance in the semifinals. "I'm just happy that I can play my best tennis here and fight for the title. It's unreal," said Barty after the clear success of the American.
For the first time in 42 years, a local hero is in the final of the Australian Open, and Barty's compatriots have been waiting for a triumph in Melbourne since 1978. At that time, Christine O'Neil won the title. At the weekend, Barty now has a chance to end this dry spell: "I'll come back on Saturday with a massive grin on my face and then see what happens."
Barty acts impressively
Barty doesn't seem to feel any pressure anyway: "We'll keep doing our thing." A look at the statistics shows how well the 25-year-old does this "thing": In the 2000s, only Serena Williams (16 games/US Open 2013 and 19/US Open 2012) and Venus Williams (20/Wimbledon 2009 ) fewer games needed to reach the final of a major tournament. Barty only gave up 21 games on the way to the final. The record is held by Mary Pierce, who lost just ten games at the 1994 French Open.
"It's a dream for a lot of Australian players," Barty said of her title chance in Melbourne. "It's going to be an incredible experience on Saturday. I can't wait to enjoy it." In any case, she is ready for her third Grand Slam triumph: "Let's do it!"
Collins in the first major final
The American Danielle Collins will stand in Barty's way on Saturday. The 28-year-old put on an impressive performance against Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, advancing to a major final for the first time in her career. Collins is looking forward to it: "Playing against the world number one in their home country will be spectacular."
Collins already has some experience with this situation: Last year she won 6:3 and 6:4 against Barty in the Adelaide quarter-finals. The other three duels, however, all went to the world number one from Ipswich.
Here is the individual tableau for women
laver arena