Barty faces Collins in bid to end drought

MELBOURNE, Australia – Ash Barty was the crowd favorite at Melbourne Park long before she ended a 42-year drought by reaching the Australian Open final.

Danielle Collins said it’ll be “spectacular” to take on the women’s No. 1-ranked player in the final of her home Grand Slam event on Saturday (3:30 a.m. ET, ESPN).

The 28-year-old American got a little taste of what to expect in her first Grand Slam final as she left the court on Thursday following her 6-4, 6-1 semifinal win over seventhseeded Iga Swiatek.

Barty beat Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 in 62 minutes in the first of the semifinals, and Collins wrapped up the night by beating 2020 French Open champion Swiatek in 78 minutes.

Barty won her first major title on clay at Roland Garros in 2019 and her second on grass at Wimbledon last year. Now that she’s become the first Australian woman into the final here since Wendy Turnbull in 1980, Barty has a good chance to claim her first on a hard court. She’s only too aware, though, that no Aussie woman since Chris O’Neil in 1978 has won the singles title here.

“As an Aussie, we’re exceptionally spoiled we get to play in our own backyard,” the 25year-old Barty said. “Now we have a chance to play for a title. It’s unreal.”

Barty lost to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in 2020 the last time she reached the Australian Open semifinals.

Keys is just the latest in a line of rivals to explain how she had few answers to Barty’s slice backhand and wide variety of serves. Barty hit 20 winners to only eight for Keys, who was playing in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time since 2015.

The 27th-seeded Collins relies on a power game and imposes a relentless energy on every contest.

Her forehand cross-court winner to set up her first match points was typical of her semifinal form. She hit 27 winners and had only 13 unforced errors. She opened each set with a break of serve and raced to 4-0 leads both times.

Collins’ run to the Australian Open semifinals in 2019 was her best previous result at a Grand Slam tournament.

After having surgery last year to treat endometriosis, she’s in less pain and said she’s in better shape to win.