Wimbledon champion Barty went into the tournament as the big favorite, and the 25-year-old didn’t drop a single set on her way to the final.
Barty continued in the tournament without dropping a set
Barty’s opponent Keys, number 51 in the world, had entered her second semi-final in Melbourne after 2015 with strong performances. She had also convincingly beaten the co-favorites Paula Badosa (Spain) and Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic).
She only needed 26 minutes for the first set against the tense Keys, with her clever rhythm changes through the unpleasant backhand slice, Barty dominated the match in the Rod Laver Arena. The American initially kept up better in the second set, but Barty showed her best tennis in the important moments and ended the game after just 62 minutes.
Bart’s best semifinal result of 2020
In 1978, Christine O’Neil was the last Australian to win the home Grand Slam title. Barty’s best result in Melbourne so far was reaching the 2020 semifinals, when she lost to eventual winner Sofia Kenin (USA). No Australian had reached the final since Wendy Turnbull in 1980.
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Status: 01/27/2022, 10:52 am