Agencies
American tennis player Danielle Collins showed she will be a formidable obstacle to home favourite Ashleigh Barty’s hopes of winning the Australian Open with a crushing 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Poland’s Iga Swiatek to reach her first Grand Slam final on Thursday.
After Barty’s demolition of American Madison Keys earlier, the 30th ranked Collins produced an equally dominant display to disappoint the former French Open champion Swiatek, according to Reuters.
World number one Barty will be the overwhelming favourite on Saturday as she attempts to become the first local to win the Australian Open since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
According to the BBC, Barty became the first home player to reach the Australian Open women’s singles final in 42 years as she beat Madison Keys in straight sets on a jubilant Rod Laver Arena. Wimbledon champion Barty, 25, won 6-1, 6-3 against the unseeded American.
Now the top seed is one win away from becoming the first Australian – man or woman – to win the singles since O’Neil won the title in 1978.
