Aussia Aussie Aussia, Oi Oi Oi - Barty ends 44-year drought by beating Collins

Barty was the first Australian woman into the singles final here since Wendy Turnbull in 1980. The 25-year-old is now the first Australian champion since Chris O’Neil in 1978. The top-ranked Barty now has major titles on three surfaces, adding the hard court at Melbourne Park to her win on grass at Wimbledon last year and on clay at the French Open in 2019. “This is just a dream come true for me,” Barty said.

“I am just so proud to be an Aussie.” Evonne Goolagong Cawley, a tennis icon with seven Grand Slam titles and a trailblazer for indigenous athletes from Australia, was a surprise guest to present the champion’s trophy to Barty. O’Neil was involved too, after carrying the trophy into the stadium for the pre-match ceremony.

“I am an incredibly fortunate and lucky girl to have so much love in my corner,” Barty said, thanking her coach, her support team, her family, the organiser and the crowd. The 28-year-old Collins was the fourth American to take on Barty in four consecutive rounds. The No.27 had spent more than four hours longer on court than Barty in her previous six matches.

Barty took the first set after saving a break point in the fifth game and then breaking in the next. Not to be outdone, Collins hit back quickly with her high-intensity plan, breaking Barty’s serve in the second and sixth games to take a 5-1 lead.

Collins twice served for the set and twice was within two points of taking her first Grand Slam final to a decider. But, Barty launched a comeback, picking up the energy from an almost full house at the Rod Laver Arena, despite government restrictions on ticket sales during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian won five of the next six games to force a tie-break and then took control by racing to a 4-0 lead. Barty congratulated Collins and told her that she “absolutely” belonged to the top-10, adding: “I know you will be fighting for many of these in the future.”

Result: Women’s singles: Final: Barty bt Collins 6-3, 7-6(2)