New Delhi: Ashleigh Barty defeated Daniel Collins 6-3, 7-6 in the final of the Australian Open to end the host nation’s 44-year wait for the women’s singles title. Ashleigh Barty had no problem winning the first set. She won the set with a service break but went down 1-5 after losing serve in the second and sixth games of the second set. Collins had two chances to win the set but lost his serve both times.
In 1980, Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian woman since Wendy Turnbull to reach the singles final of the Australian Open. She is the first Australian women’s champion since Chris O’Neill in 1978. This is the third major title of this 25-year-old player. She has won these three titles on three different surfaces. She became champion on grass courts at Wimbledon last year and on clay courts at the French Open in 2019 before winning on this hard court.
Nadal and Medvedev on the threshold of creating history at the Australian Open
Since the end of Wimbledon in July last year, there is only one discussion in the tennis world as to who will be the first male player to win 21 Grand Slam titles. The whole focus was on Novak Djokovic and no one thought about Rafael Nadal. Now Nadal, who is going to play the final of the first Grand Slam of 2022, is one victory away from making history. He will face US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who is on the verge of winning his second successive title and a record in his own right after winning the first Grand Slam.
A day before the start of the Australian Open, the race for the 21st Grand Slam was very exciting before Djokovic’s exile and Nadal’s long off the court. After suffering a leg injury and suffering from a corona infection, Nadal did not know whether he would be able to play the Australian Open or not. Nadal has 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, similar to Federer and Djokovic. Djokovic was deported from Australia for not following strict rules of corona vaccination, while Federer is not yet fully fit after surgery on his right knee.
Nadal won his 20th title at the 2020 French Open. At the same time, Djokovic reached the 17th to 20th title in 2021 by winning the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. He lost to Medvedev in the US Open final. Medvedev lost to Nadal in the final of the 2019 US Open and Djokovic in the final of the 2021 Australian Open, but he defeated Djokovic in the US Open final.
