MELBOURNE: Ash Barty has won the Australian Open final 6-3, 7-6 (2) over Danielle Collins to end a 44-year drought for Australian women at their home Grand Slam tournament.
Barty won the first set with one service break but was down 5-1 in the second set after dropping serve in the second and sixth games. Collins had two chances to serve for the set but was broken both times.
Barty dominated after taking the set to a tiebreaker, racing to a 4-0 lead.
Barty was the first Australian woman into the singles final of the Australian Open since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and is now the first Australian champion since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
The 25-year-old 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.
Ash Barty has won the first set in the Australian Open final against Danielle Collins and is potentially one more set away from ending a 44-year drought for Australian women at their home Grand Slam.
Top-ranked Barty saved a breakpoint in the fifth game and then broke the American's serve on the way to taking the set 6-3 in 32 minutes. The No. 27-seeded Collins is playing in her first major final.
Barty won Wimbledon last year and the French Open in 2019. She’s aiming to be the first Australian woman since Chris O’Neil in 1978 to win the Australian singles title.