Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty Makes History, Emerges First Australian Woman To Win Home Grand Slam In 44 Years
Local favourite and the current World No. 1, Ashleigh Barty created history at the Australian Open 2022 as she won the women’s singles final to become the first Australian woman in 44 years to win a home Grand Slam.
Despite trailing 1-5 in the second set, Barty showed her class to win the summit clash 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) against Danielle Collins to give home crowd entertainment worth their money at the Rod Laver Arena.
Collins, ranked 27th, created a break point opportunity but could not convert it. Barty went on to win the game after some fight.
Collins’ third service game was broken as she committed a double fault to give Barty a crucial 4-2 lead in the opening set.
Barty held on to her next service game to extend the lead to 5-2 in no time. The American won her next service game without much trouble. In 32 minutes, Barty won the opening set 6- 3 with an ace.
In the second, after holding on to her first serve to take a 1-0 lead, Collins showed aggression and went on to break Barty’s serve to go 2-0 up. Barty responded immediately as she also created two break points opportunities in Collins’ next game but the American continued to show aggression and took a 3-0 lead in the second set. Both players won a game apiece as the scoreline read 4-1 in Collins’ favour. Collins once again had two break point chances in Barty’s next serve and she did that to take a 5-1 lead in the second set.
Barty then fought back to break Collins serve and then held on her service to reduce the American’s lead to 5-3 in the set. But Barty continued to attack and once again broke Collins’ serve in her next game. Barty once again showed why is she the World No. 1 as she went on to level the scoreline at 5-5. The game went into a tie break as both players went on to win a game apiece.
Barty won the first four points to take a quick 4-0 lead in the tie break as the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena went bonkers. Collins won her first point of the tiebreaker off her own serve as Barty’s return went wide, 1-4. Barty’s lead extended to 5-1 as Collins’s return of the second serve went wide. Collins on the next point off Barty’s serve. Serving at 2-5, one of her forehands went wide to gave Barty four championship points. And Barty hit a forehand winner to end Australia’s wait of 44 years!
Ahead of the women’s final, Barty had won 20 of 21 sets this year. She is the first Australian woman into the decider in Melbourne since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and also became the first winner since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
Prior to this, Barty had won two Grand Slams — at the 2019 French Open and Wimbledon in 2021.
– TIMESNOWNEWS.COM
