Ashleigh Barty had waited years for her coronation on home soil and, although she briefly buckled under the weight of a nation forced to bide their time far longer, the world No 1 was able to draw on all her resolve to wrestle that dream into reality.
The huge roar that filled Rod Laver Arena was a tale of relief as well as triumph. So measured, precise, and virtually unstoppable throughout the last fortnight in Melbourne, Barty had overcome an initial bout of tension to edge a nervous first set, only for her nerves to then badly betray her as her fiery opponent, Danielle Collins, mounted a determined fightback.
