Tennis: Ash Barty was brave enough to go for broke – and it won her the Australian Open
Ash Barty’s Australian Open dream was crumbling. She trailed 1-5 in the second set. She decided that if she went down, it’d be swinging – and a rousing comeback began.
Ash Barty won the Australian Open by going for broke. Her victory roar was priceless. Self-doubts? The pressure of expectation? Cop this. She’s never looked more magnificent.
You little beauty. And yet it didn’t come easily. Things were going pear-shaped at 1-5 in the second set. Something had to change, and she was bold enough to change it.
She started hunting forehands, clobbering the ball more than massaging it. Lesser athletes would have been tentative when the dream started crumbling. But she told herself that if she went down, it’d be swinging.
Fortune favoured the brave. It was a rousing comeback inside Rod Laver Arena. She allowed herself a flurry of get-that-into-ya fist pumps as she clawed off the canvas. When she levelled at 5-5, the joint erupted. When she won the tie-breaker for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) triumph – at the time of writing on Sunday, the walls were still shaking.
“Once it was 1-5 down, I just wanted to shift and be a little more aggressive,” she said. “Adjust a couple of things, tactically. I knew the crowd would love it if I could stay close and get involved.
“It was incredible to be able to turn nothing into something. I was able to dominate with my forehand a bit more … take half-chances … I wasn’t too concerned if I was going to miss them.”
She won match point with one last forehand winner. Then came a victory roar like we’ve never heard before. “It was a little bit surreal,” Barty said.
“I didn’t quite know what to do or what to feel. Just being able to let out a little bit of emotion, which is a little bit unusual for me – I think being able to celebrate with everyone who was there in the crowd, the energy was incredible tonight.”
The first person Barty hugged was her friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua, who was courtside doing television commentary. “Casey is my best mate,” Barty said.
“She was right there. She’s done so much for me as a person, and not just after big wins.
“She’s been there right from the start. I love her to death. I think being able to share some of these moments with her is really special.
“She’s been a massive part of my life on the tennis court and as a personal friend.”
The only downside was that Barty’s hero, Evonne Goolagong, couldn’t be there. She was feeling crook, apparently. Unavailable. That was the line being fed all week to Barty. And then, surprise, it was Goolagong who handed over the trophy.
A masterstroke of planning and secrecy from Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley that was designed to shock Barty. And it did – nearly as much as Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe lobbing for a quick and heartfelt post-match hello.
“I thought she wasn’t coming,” Barty said. “I’d spoken to her earlier in the week. She was staying at home and not being able to travel down this year.
“So to have that surprise was amazing. I can’t believe Craig kept it a secret. It was really special just to be able to give her a hug.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen her in 12 months. We had a few hugs for a few different reasons, and to be able to see her in the flesh and chat was incredible.
“To be able to experience that together on such a big occasion, on such a beautiful court, and in a tournament that means so much to both of us, it was really nice to have her there, just as someone to lean on when I wasn’t really sure what to do.”
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