Aboriginal bushfire art puts our Ash Barty in great frame of mind

Apart from a French Open trophy, what’s Ash Barty got in her living room?

Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios share a joke at Rod Laver Arena. Picture: AAP

Apart from a French Open trophy, what’s Ash Barty got in her living room? “Bits and pieces” of indigenous art, she says.

What bits? What pieces?

“I have a feature piece that’s the story of a bushfire that’s from a family and some artists from Darwin in the Northern Territory. And also, as a child, I had a small didgeridoo, but that’s not something I touch. It’s not in our culture, that I’m there to touch the didgeridoo, but I do have it at home. I love that the centrepiece of my artwork at home is the story of a bushfire, which is something fitting at the moment.”

She adds: “My family, my sisters, we all have artwork from the same family of artists in Darwin. There’s so many incredible artists all over the country. We’re very spoilt for choice. It just so happened that I stumbled across this family and found the kind of pieces we were after. There’s exceptional art everywhere. If you go to museums, they have some special stories they have told with the art.”

Stronger together

Bushfire donations from the tennis world have topped $5 million. If Alex Zverev whacks a couple of hundred on the table for every double fault at the Australian Open, the sky’s the limit.

Cheap jokes aside, it’s been quite the contribution from the sport after Nick Kyrgios decided to save the world one tweet at a time.

“It’s nothing short of bringing a massive smile to my face, bringing a massive smile to the face of all Australians,” says Barty.

“The way us Aussies, as a population, have come together, and also people from all over the world who have supported us as a nation, it’s been incredible.

“I think it’s really nice that everyone can do their part.

“Big or small, it all makes a massive difference. It’s been really comforting, and really amazing, for us as a nation to come together when our backs are against the wall, when it’s a tough time. We’ve come together and really supported each other. It shows the true Aussie colours and how we are as a nation. We’ve come together and really supported each other.”

What’s the deal, Dad?

There comes a time in every ­parents’ life when their offspring will ask them a testing question. The timing, on occasion, can be off-putting. And it can happen to even the greatest of all time, as Roger Federer found out on Tuesday night.

The Swiss superstar had just wrapped up a practice session on Rod Laver Arena when he was joined by some of his clan.

According to doubles legend Todd Woodbridge, one of Federer’s twin boys, Leo and Lenny, spotted something amiss as the family was walking through the corridors at Melbourne Park.

Those hallways are adorned with life-size photographs of all the Australian Open champions.

Federer has claimed the 2017 and 2018 championships since his sons were born. And before they arrived, he also triumphed in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

But, according to Woodbridge, one of Federer’s lads was aghast to find someone else (Novak Djokovic) in the 2019 slot.

Quizzed why he failed to succeed last year, the boy’s old man explained that he had tried his best, as he would again this year.

Nicolas Mahut’s costume.

Hazed and confused

The smoke haze in Melbourne has complicated the decision-making of Australian Open officials and angered players.

Frenchman Nicolas Mahut is among those who were bewildered as to why play was allowed to proceed on Tuesday and Wednesday. The veteran is a non-smoker but told L’Equipe he felt as though he had been locked in a room of smokers on Tuesday. He also said he would not allow his son to pick up balls in the conditions, let alone play.

But Mahut, who was part of the longest match in Wimbledon history, against John Isner, could see the humorous side when it came to his on-court costume (pictured).

It’s all for the kids

Federer and Rafael Nadal are guaranteed to go head to head in the next few weeks. Hopefully at the Australian Open. Definitely in Cape Town on February 7.

Their charity Match For Africa, to be held the Friday after the Australian Open final, is raising funds for disadvantaged children and trying to set a world record for the biggest ever crowd at a tennis match. Current benchmark? The 42,217 attracted by Federer and Zverev to an exhibition match in Mexico City in November.

Cape Town Stadium holds 50,000, and tickets sold out in less than 10 minutes.

On February 2, South Africa’s best two players, Kevin Anderson and Lloyd Harris, will play an exhibition of their own in Soweto. Cape Town-based Harris has reached the final in Adelaide, but he mustn’t be too confident of doing the same in Melbourne. The fundraiser with Anderson is the day of the Australian Open final.

“The Federer/Rafa match will be in the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, which is just absolutely phenomenal, I think there will be 55,000 people,” Harris says.

“We’re really trying to raise awareness that, listen, we’re actually such a great tennis nation. Let’s get the people more involved. Let’s get the younger kids more involved. Let’s try and get back to that point where we have a bunch of players in the top 100, and try to get some female players up there again as well.

If Kevin or I reach the quarters or semis in Melbourne, then we’ll have to postpone it until the weekend after the Federer match.”