World number one Ashleigh Barty wins Australian Open

Ashleigh Barty has ended a 44-year wait to become the first Australian to win a home Open singles title after defeating Danielle Collins 6-3, 6-6(2) in Melbourne.

The nervous world number one recovered from what seemed like a comeback in the second set, to clinch a title winning victory over first-time grand slam finalist Collins.

This is Barty’s third grand slam title, ending the long reign of 1978 champion Chris O’Neil as the last home winner of the women’s or men’s singles.

The 25-year-old also finishes the term with a perfect record in slam finals, becoming the only other active player other than America’s Serena Williams to have won major titles on three different grounds.

Having enjoyed a fairly comfortable ride to the final, Barty had to dig deep to cope with the country’s expectations, and her competitive instincts to defeat Collins, in front of a crowd of about 12,000 people watching.

Witnessing the huge occasion for Australian sport and among the crowd were Sydney Olympic heroes Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe – as well as Hollywood star Russell Crowe.

Overcome with emotions, Barty shouted for joy when she clinched the title, with fans in the Rod Laver Arena giving a standing ovation and capturing the moment.

Barty now just needs the US Open to complete a career Grand Slam, after having won the French Open in 2019 and Wimbledon last summer.