By Sam Phillips
Ash Barty will be the first Australian woman to contest a Wimbledon final in 41 years after she claimed a straight sets win in the semi-final against Angelique Kerber.
Barty played what she described as the match of her life in the 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.
“This is incredible. This is close to as good a tennis match as I’ll ever play,” Barty said.
“Angie brought the best out of me. It was a hell of a match, right from the first ball and I knew it was going to have to be that good just to compete with her.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself and my team and now, we get the chance on Saturday to live out a childhood dream.”
After some early nerves in her first game, world No. 1 Barty was both unflappable and unstoppable.
Can Ash Barty go all the way?Credit: Getty
Kerber didn’t play her best tennis in the first set, but perhaps only Barty could have stopped the German from claiming the second.
Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon champion, hit the lines on both sides of the court and broke Barty’s first service game of the second set, but Barty’s defence was resolute.
The backhand slice every opponent envies was Barty’s go-to defence mechanism as Kerber hit what should have been winner after winner.
But the German’s intensity eventually dropped and Barty broke serve as Kerber tried to clinch the set.
“I think when you play in a big match like that, there is a lot on the line but it’s also very easy for me to fall back on the fact that this is a game of tennis,” Barty replied, when asked about the mental resolve required to recover in the second set.
“There are obviously so many things that I do, and I work so hard behind the scenes with my team to put myself in these moments, but it’s also really important to enjoy the moments.
“I was able to really enjoy myself today right from the start and that was the focus.”
After forcing a second set tiebreak, Barty shot out to a 6-0 lead and booked her ticket to Saturday night’s (AEST) final soon after.
“It was almost a moment of relief, a moment of pure excitement,” Barty said of the moment she won the match.
Kerber fought back in the second set but couldn’t stop Barty.Credit: Getty
“It was something I never knew if I would feel, and being able to have an opportunity to play in a final here at Wimbledon is incredible.”
It was the performance of a future Wimbledon champion, even if Barty fails to earn that title against Karolina Pliskova on Saturday night. Pliskova battled back from a set down to second seed Aryna Sabalanka to win her semi-final 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday.
Barty is now on the cusp of achieving a childhood dream and emulating one of her idols – Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
Goolagong Cawley is the last Australian woman to both contest and win a Wimbledon final, in 1980.
“It’s a really special anniversary for Evonne and I couldn’t be more proud to be in a position to wear an outfit inspired by her,” Barty said.
“Now, to give myself a chance to create history in a way that’s a tribute to her, is really exciting. I couldn’t be more rapt to have that opportunity on Saturday.
“I’ve had an incredible journey. I’ve had ups and downs and everything in between. I wouldn’t change one day or one moment or one road that we have taken in my path and my journey.
”I’m enjoying every single day we get to come out here and do what I love, and playing on a final Saturday here at Wimbledon is going to be the best feeling ever.”
Barty’s win capped a stellar day for Australia after defending champion Dylan Alcott advanced to a 16th grand slam final with a straight-sets win over David Wagner.
Alcott, who won the inaugural quad wheelchair singles title at Wimbledon two years ago, beat the 47-year-old 6-2, 6-2. He will face Dutchman Sam Schroder, whom he beat in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year, in the decider. Before that, the pair will team up in the doubles final from 8pm Friday.
Catch Ash Barty and tennis’ biggest stars in action at Wimbledon with every match of the tournament streaming live and ad-free on Stan Sport with select games on 9Gem.