Barty, Collins Cruise Into Australian Open Final

It was an evening of blowouts on women’s semifinal night at the Australian Open.

Ash Barty continued her dominant 2022 season, pounding former Top 10 Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 in just 62 minutes. The 25-year-old Barty becomes the first Australian woman to make the final in 42 years since Wendy Turnbull in 1980.

“It’s unreal. It’s just incredible,” Barty said on court. “I love this tournament and love competing out here and playing in Australia.

“As an Aussie, we are exceptionally spoilt that we’re a Grand Slam nation, we get to play at home and in our backyard.

“I’m just happy that I get to play my best tennis here. I enjoy it, I’ve done well before and now we have a chance to play for a title.”

Barty broke Keys in the American’s first service game, and never looked back. With her serve and effective slice, Keys managed just eight winners and 24 unforced.

Barty has now held 46 of 47 service games at the event, and lost just 10 points total all night on serve.

“Conditions were really different tonight,” said Barty. “It was humid. This is Brisbane weather. The ball was a little bit slower, heavier off the strings.

“I just tried to run and adapt and make as many balls as I could, keep Maddy under the pump on her serve because she’s got the ability to take it away from you really quickly without you realizing what’s happening.”

Keys had a small chance to make a match of it at 2-all and Barty serving 30-40, but Barty blunted the bid.

“It sucks,” Keys said after. “She’s just playing incredibly well. You have a game plan in your head, but she’s just executing everything so well. She’s serving incredibly well, so you don’t get any free points on that. Her slice is coming in so much lower and deeper than it was in the past, so it’s hard to do anything on that.

“Then you try to play to her forehand and she can open you up there. I think she’s playing some really, really good tennis, but she’s also, it just seems so locked in and focused. I have played her a handful of times, and this is easily the best I think she’s ever been playing.”

Danielle Collins kept put America back in the women’s final for a third straight year. The 28-year-old Collins cruised past a weary Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1.

“Feels amazing,” Collins said. “It’s been such a journey and it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s so many years of hard work and hours in an early age on court.”

“All the early mornings my dad would practice with me before school, and it’s just incredible to be on the stage. Especially with the health challenges, I’m just so grateful. I couldn’t be happier.”

Using her backhand, Collins stormed out to a 4-0 lead then hung on as Swiatek got into the gear. Swiatek would win three straight games but couldn’t covert a break chance for 4-all.

In her second Slam semifinal, the Collins took eight of the next 10 games from there. She finsished with 27 winners (9 off the backhand), 13 unforced errors and 7 aces.

“I have certainly added a little bit more variety to my game over the last couple years, but this is my plan A and I wanted to go out and try to execute this game plan as best as I could,” she said, inspired as a youngster watching Serena and Venus Williams in Grand Slam finals on TV.

“In the zone is the best way to describe it. So it was a bit of a shock I guess at the end when I finally closed it out.”

Swiatek, who played a career long 3 hours match the day before, agreed, there wasn’t much she could do with Collins playing at that level.

“I tried to find solutions, but I can assume what feelings she had today on court, because I do have that feeling sometimes,” Swiatek said. “It’s kind of hard to stop an opponent when they are playing like that.

“I wasn’t thinking like that on the court, but after, I’m not even feeling any regrets because I did the best I could today.”

The longshot Collins beat Barty in their last meeting at Adelaide last year. But Barty leads 3-1 overall.

“I think the way she’s able to control the baseline and really take the game on, she’s one of the most fierce competitors out here,” said Barty of Collins. “She loves to get in your face and loves to really take it on. It’s going to be a challenge for me to try and neutralize as best that I can, but it is certainly nice to see her back out here playing her best stuff.”

Added Collins, “We’ve had some incredible battles over the years and to play against the number one player in the world and in her home country, I think it’s going to be really spectacular,” continued Collins.”

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