Friday, March 29

Quickfire Barty turns Keys inside out to reach first Australian Open final | Australian Open 2022


For the fourth match in succession under the hefty weight of home pressure, Ash Barty stood before a taller and stronger opponent capable of hitting just about every tennis player in the world off the court. Each time her opponents have arrived on Rod Laver Arena armed with their biggest weapons this year, it has taken Barty little more than an hour to dismantle them with relative ease.

On Thursday night, it was Madison Keys’ turn to experience the deep discomfort of Barty’s game and she was beaten as soundly as all others. After just 62 minutes, Barty won 6-1, 6-3 to reach the Australian Open final for the first time in her career. She has dropped just 21 games across her six matches.

Saturday’s stage is now set. Barty will look to become the first Australian to win the Australian Open in 42 years, after Chris O’Neil in 1978. She is the first Australian woman to reach the Australian Open singles final since Wendy Turnbull in 1980.

“It’s unreal,” said Barty afterwards. “Honestly, it’s just incredible. I love this tournament, I love coming out here and playing in Australia. As an Aussie, we’re exceptionally spoiled that we’re a grand slam nation that we get to play at home. We get to play in our backyard. I’m just happy that I get to play my best tennis here. I enjoy it, I’ve done well here and now we get a chance to play for a title. It’s unreal.”

In the final, Barty will face Danielle Collins, the 27th seed, after the American rose to the occasion in her second grand slam semi-final and produced a ballstriking lesson of the highest standard, eviscerating Iga Swiatek, the seventh seed, 6-4 , 6-1 to reach her first ever grand slam final.

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Like many of Barty’s opponents before her, Keys could only smile in her press conference afterwards as she relived the ordeal of facing Barty in her current form. “It’s tough,” Keys said. “It sucks. I mean, she’s just playing incredibly well. You have a game plan in your head, but she’s just executing everything so well.”

Keys last played Barty at the 2019 French Open en route to Barty’s maiden grand slam title. She said that she feels Barty’s level has significantly elevated since then, highlighted by her slice cutting through the court and the assertiveness with which she commands matches. This time, Barty drew out countless errors from Keys with her backhand slice, she pulled her on the run with sharp crosscourt forehand rallies and she did not hesitate to step inside her baseline with her forehand. “Obviously I was able to make Maddie uncomfortable and make her press, and that was kind of part of the plan, as well.”

Between them, Barty and Keys are the two best servers of this year’s tournament but the match-up demonstrated Barty’s all-around excellence on both serve and return, with 48% of Barty’s serves going unreturned, whereas Keys managed just 19%, a steep drop from her tournament average of 33%. Not only did Barty serve impeccably, but she also constantly put returns into play and refused to allow Keys free points.

As Barty digested her success, she looked back to her first Australian Open experience when she was 11 or 12 at a training camp, a moment that opened her eyes to what is possible in tennis.

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“To see how professional it was and to see everyone going about their business was really eye-opening,” she said. “My first taste of it was in the juniors and I loved it. I think being able to get a taste of that kind of lit the flame. You wonder what you can achieve. You wonder what you can do.”

What Barty has achieved and done is far beyond what she could have imagined. Over the past few years she has separated herself from the rest of the field, marking herself as the undisputed No 1 and leaving her defeated opponents in awe. On Saturday she will return to Rod Laver Arena as she competes at home for her first ever Australian Open title.

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Collins followed Barty shortly after and faced with the opportunity of her career, she was in the zone from the very beginning until the end, demolishing Swiatek’s second serve and finishing with 27 winners to just 13 unforced errors. Such was the relentlessness of Collins’ aggression, Swiatek described Collins’ ball as the hardest she has felt. “I was prepared for her playing [an] aggressive game, but I think that was the fastest ball I have ever played against in a match,” she said.

The route that Collins has tread to reach the pinnacle of her sport, a grand slam final, is remarkable in itself. She built her game on the public courts of Florida and she spent her youth playing College tennis at the University of Virginia. Since turning professional in 2016, she has had to navigate numerous tough health issues. Nine months ago, Collins underwent endometriosis surgery that included removing a tennis ball-sized cyst from her uterus. Three years earlier, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease.

Yet here she is. Collins will rise into the top 10 and she will be the new American No 1 next week. “To be playing on this stage where so many of my idols as a kid playing, it’s almost surreal,” said Collins. “This is just what we all, as kids, dream of doing. So it’s just such a special moment for me. I’m just trying to embrace all of it.”


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