Australian Open women’s final 2022: Sam Stosur on Ash Barty vs Danielle Collins

If there is one thing Ash Barty has been this Aus Open, it’s clinical. She has demolished her opponent in flawless fashion and she goes into the final with a terrifying stat behind her.

Ash Barty goes into Saturday night’s showdown with a record that’s almost unheard of in a women’s grand slam final.

She is averaging just 61 minutes on court and remarkably, her serve has only been broken once this entire tournament.

She hasn’t dropped a set and only been pushed to 6-4 once on route to the final. It’s incredible.

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We have seen her demolish six opponents with flawless precision in the last two weeks, a reflection of Ash’s undisputed position as the top player in the world.

Getting to the latter stages of a grand slam with little court time is a blessing in that you’re probably mentally and physically fresher than your opponent.

You never want to be on court for hours on end throughout a grand slam, however, you don’t want to be caught off guard if your first real test comes at the business end of the tournament.

No disrespect to Ash’s other opponents but she really has not been challenged during the Australian Open or even in the lead up event in Adelaide.

Ash Barty and Sam Stosur playing in the doubles for Australia.

The only person in her way of achieving hometown glory is an in-form Danielle Collins and she may be the greatest challenge Ash has faced this year.

Just because the American isn’t a household name in Australia, she cannot be underestimated.

You don’t fall into the world’s top 30 rankings by mistake. You have to be an insanely good tennis player to not only reach that level but to also consistently remain there.

Write Collins out of this final at your peril. Believe me, Ash won’t be.

Collins is an absolute fighter. She is aggressive and vocal and she can blow an opponent off court with her power shots.

Ash Barty keeps a close eye on Sam Stosur during a press conference.

Home crowd advantage will mean the world to Ash but I doubt it will rattle Collins. She thrives in that environment, it will pump her up.

She plays a dangerous game and let’s not forget she has beaten Ash before.

While I expect a very physical encounter and the potential to go to three sets, the match will come down to the mental game.

Ash’s mantra is “pressure is privilege”. She is no stranger to the weight of expectation so she is well prepared in that regard.

Sam Stosur says Ash Barty’s Wimbledon experience will stand her in good stead.

The French Open and Wimbledon title wins will be fresh in Ash’s mind. Winning the prestigious Wimbledon title was the pinnacle for Ash, it was the one she always wanted. She handled the pressure of both of these finals almost flawlessly and I have no doubt she will be as prepared for her home Slam.

In whatever way she prepared mentally for Paris and London, I wouldn’t change a thing here. Of course there’s the added expectation of this being her home slam but Ash is grounded, she keeps her head. Her team will make sure she’s in a good place.

She has always been wise beyond her years. I remember her first appearance for Fed Cup, she was 15 or 16 at the time. The maturity she showed on court then was that of someone far beyond her years.

Ash Barty practising at Melbourne Park as a 14-year-old.

Barty competing in a junior tournament in Mount Gambier.

Her tennis IQ – as far as analysing and unpicking an opponent – is better than almost anyone on tour.

Ash focuses on how to get her opponent into a difficult position and then dominate them with power and precision.

She exploits her opponents’ weaknesses and then she goes for the kill. And if it doesn’t come off, she has a Plan B already in her mind.

That’s what I think sets her apart from so many of her rivals. She is always a few steps ahead. I don’t think anyone can match her in that aspect of the game.

It will be central to her undoing of Collins tonight.

Yes it will be a battle, it should be; this is a grand slam final.

This will be a greater challenge than Ash has had to come up against so far in this tournament but she will prevail.

The wait for a homegrown Australian Open champion ends on Saturday night. Go Ash!

Ash Barty has steamrolled her way into the Australian Open final.

ANATOMY OF A CHAMPION

Backhand slice: Courier hailed it ‘better than Federer’

This is her silent assassin. It’s the ‘one’ in her one-two punch. Ash hits this shot better than anyone in the world. She can hit it with pace, angle and can vary her depth to drag her opponents in to net or keep them back behind the baseline. She uses it offensively to set up her forehand and but also keeps her in so many points defensively. This shot sets up her most destructive weapon - her explosive forehand.

Forehand: 48 forehand winners

This is ‘two’ in the one-two punch. This is her big weapon. She hits most of her winners off this side and she keeps her opponents off balance with this shot as she disguises the direction so well with it. She can hit her forehand with power but also finesse when required.

Serve: 184 km/h fastest AO 2022

It’s the most dangerous part of her game. It’s so unpredictable to an opponent. Her ball toss gives you no indication of where she’s going to serve, you have to be really dialled into this as an opponent. She dictates the points straight away with this shot. For someone of Ash’s height it’s impressive she’s so strong in this part of the game.

Net play: 76% of net points won Aus Open 2022

Her technique at the net is solid. She has a great volley game, the fact she comes into the net so often tells you how comfortable she is there. It’s intimidating to an opponent.

Cool head: Against players like Collins this is perhaps the biggest weapon. The fact that Ash never shows a hint of frustration, worry or panic riles people up. Even if you’re distraught as a player you don’t want to let your rival know, Ash does this so well and it makes them panic as a result.

Court movement: This is an underestimated part of Ash’s game. This plays into how well she reads her opponent and her ability to remain a few shots ahead. Her anticipation of the game is second to none and it’s shown in her positioning.