Here’s Tumaini Carayol’s report from Melbourne.
This is the moment the country had been waiting for.
🖤💛❤️
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2022
The moment Evonne Goolagong Cawley crowned @ashbarty the #AusOpen women's singles champion 🏆#AO2022 pic.twitter.com/ASBtI8xHjg
“It’s been one of my favourite experiences,” says Ash, thanking all the staff as the ballkids stand on ceremony in the style of a cub scout event. Then Barty is “pretty rapt” her family could be there. “You guys have been nothing short of exceptional. You relaxed me and forced me to play my best tennis.”
“This is just a dream come true. I’m so proud to be an Aussie.”
And with that, it’s photos and a lap of honour.
And after plenty of ado, here’s Ash Barty receiving the trophy from Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and the noise is very loud. Here’s Ash. “First, I have to say congratulations to Danielle and her team I know you will be fighting for many more in the future.”
Updated
None other than Evonne Goolagong Cawley takes the stage and Ash Barty’s smile couldn’t be wider. Danielle Collins gives a broad smile as she receives her plate from the legendary Evonne. “I really admire you as a player,” Collins tells Barty. “This is most of the players’ favourite grand slam.” She thanks the medical staff, and says she might not have reached the final without them. There are tears as she thanks her coach, Marty, and her boyfriend, and a David Wagner, presumably not the ex-Huddersfield Town manager.
Updated
Danielle Collins, as well she might, looks a little uncomfortable as Jayne Hrdlicka drones on. It’s all a bit corporate, on a day of real national joy.
Updated
Here’s our snap report, with far more to follow.
Todd Woodbridge, doubles king supreme, leads the ceremonials. So far, no post-match bantz from Jim Courier or the like. In fact, it’s all a bit Royal Ascot rather than the usual tech bro Ted Talk stuff.
Updated
The celebrations can begin, and so can the relief. There was a moment in that lengthy second set when it appeared Danielle Collins had Ash Barty’s measure, having broken her twice but one of the game’s great fighters found her way back.
Updated
Ash Barty wins the Australian Open, beating Danielle Collins 6-3 7-6 (7-2)
Collins goes long for 0-1, and Barty has the next two serves. The first point for 2-0 see Collins again go long. Then a winner is crashed home for a 3-0 lead. The crowd sniff glory. An amazing rally sees Barty smash home after a drop shot is well saved by Collins. 4-0, then 4-1 on Collins’ last serve of her two. Then Collins’ backhand fails her on the Barty second serve. Two points from glory. Barty misses her first serve and this time Collins takes the point. 5-2. But on the American’s own serve she is horribly loose on a forehand and hands over four championship points. It’s taken in style, from the back of the court, a delightful passing shot with Collins at the net. 44 years of hurt are over.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 6-6 Collins
Into the tie-breaker we go. Collins opens up a big chance at 15-30 with a big backhand. But Barty levels at 30-30 with her serve. More of the same for 40-30. And again to level.
Updated
Barty 6-3 5-6 Collins*
Big big hold from the American. Collins misses an opening winner when her fine serve had left Barty all at sea. But she does far better with a volley for 15-15 and in seeing out a long rally at which Barty coughs first and nets. A crashing serve sees it out.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 5-5 Collins
You gotta fight for your right, to Barty? The serve looks better, and so does the forehand, and she guides home a winner for 40-15. Collins uses her deadly backhand to take it to 40-30. But Barty serves out to make it all square.
Updated
Barty 6-3 4-5 Collins*
Another break back and all to play for. Collins starts with a skidding serve that Barty can’t return. Then Barty gets excited in a rally and goes long for 30-0. Barty then clatters home a service return for 30-15. Then a forehand winner for 30-30. She’s back in the set, make no mistake. Then a forehand return offers up a break point. That’s taken and we may be not far from Barty going back into the ascendancy.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 3-5 Collins
Another service hold and the pressure is back on Collins. Barty’s power is rearing up again, and she blams a forehand beyond Collins for 30-0 up. Then comes an ace for 40-0.
Updated
Barty 6-3 2-5 Collins*
A break back and Barty has a foothold in the second set. The Collins backhand sets Barty chasing in the depths of the court for 15-15. But Barty crashes a forehand winner down the line for an opening, at 15-30. Then she overhits a forehand for 30-30. Some hoons in the crowd are cheering Collins’ missed first serves. But there’s genuine cheers as Collins offers up a break point that Barty takes her up on.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 1-5 Collins
A double break. Barty dropping a double fault to start with, and then comes a second serve that Collins should have done better with. Barty wins the point to loud cheers. Then misses a drive volley that drifts out. Big miss. Then another double fault. Uh oh. Two more break points. The first is taken and Tom Couch roars once more.
Updated
Barty 6-3 1-4 Collins*
Collins is serving well but gets her angles wrong on a backhand winner to get pegged back to 30-15. Then Collins shrieks in celebration as she clatters an overhead home. A big roar from Tom Couch, her fitness trainer boyfriend who looks a lot like Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The home crowd are quiet.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 1-3 Collins
Huge roars as the Barty serve improves and she holds to love. Now to set about the Collins serve.
Seven days after a video went viral of two activists being forced to remove their T-Shirts by Melbourne Park security, the group made good on their promise to print 1,000 shirts they hoped spectators would wear inside Rod Laver Arena during the women’s singles final.
About 20 people were voluntarily stationed at each entrance, where they also distributed ribbons and stickers saying “Missing!” in Mandarin.
A few shirts could be seen dotted throughout the 80% capacity crowd during the match, with many more sporting the yellow ribbons.
Barty 6-3 0-3 Collins*
Collins flushed with confidence, and goes to 30-15 with some good serving and that powerful backhand. But Barty is not done and she lands a break point herself. Collins saves that and makes a loud noise to celebrate. But then scoops a drop volley too long to offer up another. Then Barty looks to have control of a rally only for her stop volley to, well, not stop and fly out of play. Back to deuce. Then a huge roar from her fella in the stands as Collins holds.
Updated
*Barty 6-3 0-2 Collins
Big break from the American, A slight wobble on the Barty forehand? It goes to 15-15, and then 15-30 and it’s the home heroine who has started this set slowly. Then she nets to offer up two break points. The first is saved by an ace, the second is taken by a smash. The noise goes up, mostly in support of Barty but some American accents there, too.
Updated
Barty 6-3 0-1 Collins*
Good hold from Collins. Barty begins the second set with a winner that gets a huge cheer. Collins levels up and then works her way to 30-15 with a whipped backhand. Then comes a big serve for 40-15, and a forehand winner.
Updated
Ash Barty takes the first set 6-3
Nice and easy does it. Cheers as 15-0 is reached by a big serve. Barty’s power forces a winner for 30-0 up, she goes down the line to claim it. Another big serve hands over three set points. And an ace gets the job done. The home fans make some real noise.
Updated
Barty 5-3 Collins*
Barty must serve this one out. Collins drops another double to start off, but then looks far more confident in some serve volleying to go to 30-15 up. Then Barty’s speed around the court levels it up at 30-30. Collins’ hard hitting keeps Barty at the back of the court for 40-30, and then comes an ace.
Updated
*Barty 5-2 Collins
Cheers as Barty goes to 30-0 up, driving home her lead in the set. Then comes 40-0 but a first double fault, just the tenth of the entire tourney. Collins attempts to unleash her backhand but gets her angles all wrong.
Barty 4-2 Collins*
The first break of the match. At 15-30 there is a glimmer for Barty, but Collins comes to the net to force an error and 30-30. Russell Crowe looks on as Barty crashes home to set up a break point. A second serve is offered up, and then a double fault hands Barty the game.
Updated
*Barty 3-2 Collins
A hard-won hold. Big cheers as Barty makes it to 15-15. There seems to be a few home nerves around, and her going 30-15 up receives a real cheer. A smash takes it to 40-15, she’s won every point she’s got a first serve in. The Collins backhand bullies her way back into the game. And then it’s deuce after a fine forehand from Collins. Then Barty offers up a break point by missing a winner after fine defensive play from Collins. That’s rescued with a baseline winner. And the break is averted.
Updated
Barty 2-2 Collins*
Collins continued her trend of not sitting down during the changeovers, and her Ruud Van Nistelrooy-lookalike boyfriend does some fist pumping as her serves take her to 30-15 up. A backhand takes her to 40-15 and a lucky net cord takes the game. That’s acknowledged by Collins.
Updated
*Barty 2-1 Collins
The home heroine starts with two massive serves to race to 40-0. Then misses a winner. No worries, a serve to the left-hand corner takes the game.
Updated
Barty 1-1 Collins*
Barty only just takes a winner for 0-15, smashing it off the net cord. Next comes an ace, then a crashing serve for 30-15. Then Barty makes a mess of a backhand slice and it’s 40-15. Collins serves it out, held her nerves well.
Updated
*Barty 1-0 Collins
Barty won the toss and will throw first. She starts with an unreturnable serve and goes to 30-0 with another, an ace taking her to 40-0. Then a couple of second serves open the way back up, as Collins clubs a backhand return for 40-30. But it’s served out to a wall of noise.
Ok, here we go as Collins comes out first and Barty follows her to a very loud noise. The Rod Laver Arena is supposed to 80 percent full due to restrictions but looks far fuller.
Updated
The Eurosport coverage has descended to a discussion of whether the presenters like Vegemite or not. For the record, Babsi Schett doesn’t and Tim Henman doesn’t seem so keen. The Barty fans on the Melbourne Park equivalent of Henman Hill are wearing t-shirts that use the Vegemite font. For the record, I quite like Vegemite.
Strange scenes at the end of the boys’ singles final. It’s hot out there in Melbourne, though the current temperature is 21 degrees with 72 percent humidity. Like a summer’s day in Macclesfield.
Incredible sportsmanship and incredible scenes 👏
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2022
🇺🇸 Bruno Kuzuhara defeats Jakub Mensik 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 7-5 and completes a sweep of the #AusOpen boys' singles and doubles titles 🏆#AO2022
🎥: @wwos · @espn · @Eurosport · @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/UY27L2yUU7
And Emma Kemp profiled Ash Barty, on whose shoulders such pressure now lies.
Being 2022, it is now 44 years since Christine O’Neil did, on grass, at Kooyong. Ash Barty, of course, knows all of this. Her results of the past three years here read: quarter-final, semi-final, quarter-final. She too would have felt the infamous squeeze in her chest of an expectant country behind her.
Tim Joyce wrote about the underdog, Danielle Collins, from Florida.
And while many of the high-ranked women have ferocious groundstrokes, what makes Collins unique is that she is just as adept in the forecourt, allowing her to finish off points in swift fashion. Yet part of the reason why Collins’ game has taken longer to mature into the top-tier player she has become is that her on-court decision-making was lacking. But she has now married her all-court abandon with a newfound strategic acumen and increased mental focus, rapidly developing into one of the most dangerous players on tour. (On the men’s side Denis Shapovalov is undergoing a similar transformation.) Collins’ full arsenal of shots was on view during her comprehensive beating of the slam champion Swiatek on Thursday. It was perhaps the finest win of her career.
Preamble
This is a big one for Australia, where Ash Barty can become the first Australian winner of their own grand slam since since Christine O’Neil won on grass, at Kooyong, in 1978. Barty’s progress has been pretty serene, and Madison Keys was brushed aside in the semi-final. In Barty’s way is Danielle Collins, at 28 in her first slam final, but whose service game and backhand destroyed Iga Swiatek in the other semi-final. The serve looks to be at the centre of this final, with, as our preview reveals “the Queenslander has won 20 straight sets and 81 of her last 82 service games”. History may hang heavy on Barty as the last Australian to reach the final was Wendy Turnbull in 1980. The last Australian in their home slam final was Lleyton Hewitt in 2005. This is a big one for the host country, after a hard few years in the formerly Lucky Country. No pressure.
