Ashleigh Barty crowned at home, her third Grand Slam title

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Imperial, all the way. Ashleigh Barty has completed her dream career in Melbourne. The world No. 1 won the Australian Open by beating the surprising Danielle Collins (6-3, 7-6), Saturday January 29 in Melbourne. The No. 27 seed did more than resist, proving to be the first opponent to really push Barty out of his comfort zone. Insufficient, however, to spoil the ideal fortnight of the 25-year-old player, victorious of her third Grand Slam title after Roland-Garros 2019 and Wimbledon 2021, her first Major in front of her audience who were waiting for her so much.

Under the eyes of Chris O’Neil, the last Aussie winner at home in 1978, “Ash'” Barty did not let the pressure of a whole people devour her. Winner of her first six matches without having lost a single set – or even really a single minute – the local knew how to set up her game plan as if nothing had happened, at least for the duration of a set.

Back to the wall, when some take support to recover, Ashleigh Barty, she advances inexorably, in the court and in the game. The Australian was able to be solid in the few rare hot moments, when Danielle Collins committed a nasty double fault on the opponent’s first break point, at 3-2. In the blink of an eye the world No. 1 took the reins of the final, with a shutout to finish the first set in just 32 minutes.

Catchy, furious even as usual, Danielle Collins had the merit of never letting go of this final when the winds all seemed to be against her. Taking advantage of a slight slump from Barty on her face-off, the American was able to raise her level and let go of her shots. By her power, the Floridienne is one of the most dangerous poisons of the women’s circuit when it comes to outsmarting her opponent. Her returns to the feet and her desire to attack have sown some doubts in the Australian, whose shell showed the first cracks.

At 1-5 in her favor in the second set, the favorite of this final has regained her senses, and with them her irresistible domination. Forgotten unforced errors (nine in the first six games, four in the next seven), Ashleigh Barty has reconnected with the thread of her match and her tennis identity. All in variation, and with tenfold power, the number one seed completely knocked down a round that seemed to have eluded him. The force of habit and the weight of a boss, a real one. The tie-break, concluded seven points to two, offers a perfect end to his Australian Open, won without having lost a set and ended with a third Grand Slam tournament in three finals. A 6-3, 7-6 success, the same score as… Chris O’Neil, in 1978. History does things well.

For Barty, this coronation – which now allows him to have won a Major on all three surfaces (clay, grass and hard) – has a necessarily special flavor, in front of a Rod Laver Arena won over to his cause, and all of Australia with Ashleigh Barty, the proud Aussie who had been hoping for this trophy for 44 years and will live a dream day since the men’s doubles, disputed in the wake of this ladies’ final, will also go to an Australian pair. For the southern people too, this trophy will remain special, he who had started the tournament on the nerves after the psychodrama Novak Djokovic, between painful health crisis Down Under and political decisions.

The smile has now returned, thanks to his protege, a worthy representative of the Australian Aboriginal community and who had the choice to stay “Down Under” with his family during the Covid-19 pandemic. The coronavirus may have pushed back Ashleigh Barty’s reign by a few months, but the path to a flourishing career is now well marked.


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