The Prague Post - Rampant Barty to meet powerhouse Collins in Australian Open final

EUR -
AED 4.137471
AFN 79.977849
ALL 98.395227
AMD 438.234048
ANG 2.030176
AOA 1030.695507
ARS 1270.058634
AUD 1.755486
AWG 2.027597
AZN 1.919425
BAM 1.958247
BBD 2.273541
BDT 136.810974
BGN 1.95519
BHD 0.424614
BIF 3303.293291
BMD 1.126443
BND 1.461814
BOB 7.780654
BRL 6.365195
BSD 1.126007
BTN 96.098242
BWP 15.267606
BYN 3.684872
BYR 22078.277409
BZD 2.261807
CAD 1.568651
CDF 3235.143914
CHF 0.935984
CLF 0.0274
CLP 1051.455879
CNY 8.152409
CNH 8.15491
COP 4773.864268
CRC 571.509146
CUC 1.126443
CUP 29.850732
CVE 110.673441
CZK 24.965396
DJF 200.191844
DKK 7.460712
DOP 66.291597
DZD 149.839273
EGP 57.028984
ERN 16.896641
ETB 149.708602
FJD 2.570588
FKP 0.847984
GBP 0.846054
GEL 3.103395
GGP 0.847984
GHS 14.813161
GIP 0.847984
GMD 80.544993
GNF 9749.929341
GTQ 8.660824
GYD 236.257913
HKD 8.761675
HNL 29.107717
HRK 7.536339
HTG 147.052467
HUF 403.965327
IDR 18608.608528
ILS 3.990007
IMP 0.847984
INR 96.217077
IQD 1475.63997
IRR 47423.239117
ISK 146.933624
JEP 0.847984
JMD 178.983677
JOD 0.79899
JPY 163.544884
KES 145.878615
KGS 98.507849
KHR 4522.667935
KMF 491.696523
KPW 1013.992159
KRW 1572.981562
KWD 0.345435
KYD 0.938344
KZT 581.111061
LAK 24342.427679
LBP 100929.268548
LKR 336.42745
LRD 224.729573
LSL 20.558009
LTL 3.326093
LVL 0.681374
LYD 6.12226
MAD 10.416818
MDL 19.298518
MGA 5029.567157
MKD 61.532523
MMK 2365.242638
MNT 4027.363313
MOP 9.021194
MRU 44.551236
MUR 51.490123
MVR 17.351429
MWK 1956.631402
MXN 21.952458
MYR 4.840368
MZN 71.991379
NAD 20.558004
NGN 1810.535587
NIO 41.087042
NOK 11.65568
NPR 153.756786
NZD 1.904144
OMR 0.433667
PAB 1.125997
PEN 4.101421
PGK 4.57678
PHP 62.360291
PKR 316.759863
PLN 4.233202
PYG 9002.250188
QAR 4.101097
RON 5.119725
RSD 117.356662
RUB 92.936538
RWF 1604.05444
SAR 4.225317
SBD 9.406753
SCR 16.0111
SDG 676.432997
SEK 10.927824
SGD 1.461182
SHP 0.885207
SLE 25.62699
SLL 23620.922429
SOS 643.766143
SRD 41.343268
STD 23315.090128
SVC 9.852313
SYP 14648.904006
SZL 20.557996
THB 37.096579
TJS 11.653961
TMT 3.953814
TND 3.397633
TOP 2.638246
TRY 43.648646
TTD 7.649492
TWD 33.99706
TZS 3038.58334
UAH 46.775294
UGX 4121.150236
USD 1.126443
UYU 47.068822
UZS 14503.124677
VES 104.438126
VND 29263.29233
VUV 135.983376
WST 3.120915
XAF 656.771943
XAG 0.03436
XAU 0.000337
XCD 3.044268
XDR 0.809517
XOF 648.271838
XPF 119.331742
YER 275.359333
ZAR 20.541044
ZMK 10139.340296
ZMW 29.64178
ZWL 362.714098
  • RBGPF

    2.8600

    65.86

    +4.34%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    22.13

    +0.09%

  • SCS

    -0.0050

    10.475

    -0.05%

  • AZN

    0.5700

    67.87

    +0.84%

  • RIO

    0.8300

    60.01

    +1.38%

  • BCC

    -0.2700

    89.31

    -0.3%

  • NGG

    0.4550

    70.635

    +0.64%

  • GSK

    -0.1650

    36.705

    -0.45%

  • CMSD

    0.0500

    22.38

    +0.22%

  • BTI

    -1.5200

    41.78

    -3.64%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1000

    10.5

    -0.95%

  • RELX

    0.3396

    53.841

    +0.63%

  • JRI

    0.0000

    12.95

    0%

  • BCE

    0.6450

    22.875

    +2.82%

  • BP

    1.2150

    29.805

    +4.08%

  • VOD

    0.0750

    9.325

    +0.8%

Rampant Barty to meet powerhouse Collins in Australian Open final
Rampant Barty to meet powerhouse Collins in Australian Open final

Rampant Barty to meet powerhouse Collins in Australian Open final

A ruthless Ashleigh Barty swept into her first Australian Open final on Thursday with a clinical, straight-sets demolition of Madison Keys to set-up a title match with the hard-hitting Danielle Collins.

Text size:

The world number one overwhelmed 51st-ranked Keys 6-1, 6-3 in just 62 minutes with another American awaiting after the all-business Collins crushed Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1.

Barty is the first Australian woman into the decider of her home Grand Slam since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and is aiming to become the first winner since Chris O'Neil two years earlier.

But the tenacious Collins stands in her way on Saturday with the 28-year-old enjoying a second coming after surgery last year for endometriosis left her pain free.

Nine months on and she has 32-7 win-loss record, capturing her maiden WTA singles titles last year in Palermo then San Jose.

After making the semi-finals at Melbourne in 2019, she is now in a first Slam final and will break into the top 10 for the first time to cap a remarkable comeback.

"To play against the number one player in the world in her home country, it's going to be spectacular," said Collins of the final.

"I couldn't be happier. It's been such a journey, so many years of hard work."

Barty, though, has been rampant so far, dropping serve just once through six matches and is yet to drop a set as she powered through the top half of the women's draw.

- 'Going to be incredible' -

She is also looking to add to her 2019 French Open and 2021 Wimbledon titles and is on a 10-match win streak to start the year.

"To be in the finals weekend of your home Grand Slam is what a lot of Aussie players dream of. Yeah, it's going to be an incredible experience come Saturday," said Barty.

"Obviously I was able to make Maddie uncomfortable and make her press, and that was kind of part of the plan, as well. I felt like we did a really good job all in all of playing the match in kind of our terms."

Barty paid tribute to Keys, a former top-10 player who is on the rise again after some difficult years.

"It's just so nice to see her back where she belongs," said Barty. "She's an amazing human being."

The top seed, who played cricket with her team on Wednesday to relax, was once more in full command of her game with an attacking forehand and lethal backhand slice.

The Australian immediately pressured Keys' serve to create a break point that she converted with a cross-court winner to assert early control.

She consolidated as Keys struggled to get her racquet on the ball and the American was broken again in the fifth game.

Keys finally won her first points on the Barty serve in the next game, but it was a blip as the Australian stormed 5-1 in front before a double fault handed her two set points and she slammed a forehand return to convert.

It went with serve to 2-2 in set two before Barty stepped up a gear, with a passing shot earning another break to 4-2 clear and there was no way back for the American.

Collins also flew out of the blocks against former French Open champion Swiatek, racing to a 4-0 first set lead.

A nervous Swiatek double faulted in the opening game to gift Collins an early break and the unrelenting American's fierce groundstrokes earned her another.

But the gutsy Pole fought back as Collins double faulted to give a break-point opportunity.

But the all-action American, who opted not to sit down and rest at each change of ends, recomposed herself to serve out the set.

Collins was now on a mission and quickly broke to take charge of the second set as she jumped on Swiatek's second serve, breaking again to race 3-0 clear and it was all over for the 20-year-old.

A.Stransky--TPP