Australian Open 2022, Final, Saturday, 29.01.2022
Nearly two weeks of women’s tennis at the highest level prepare for the absolute climax Down Under: The 2022 Australian Open title will be handed out on Saturday! For the fans, it could turn into a real holiday.
The tournament has given them exactly the finalist they wanted from the start. Ashleigh Barty gets to play in front of her own audience for her second trophy in a Grand Slam tournament!
All the experts had expected her before the start of the tournament, but not her opponent. And so it is that the local heroine is given very low odds and the associated role of favourite in the final.
Whether justified or not, my Barty Collins tip should clarify this in the following
Who, if not the reigning world No. 1, should travel to the Australian Open as the top favourite? Ashleigh Barty had to deal with the huge pressure of having to win at all costs right from the start in Melbourne.
A mix of incredible aplomb and a bit of luck with the draw ensured that she easily strolled into the final. A Grand Slam title in her home country would be something very special for the 25-year-old.
She won the French Open in 2019, Wimbledon two years later, but she has yet to win a title on hard court on the big stage. What speaks in favour of her winning it for the first time on Saturday?
First of all, of course, the fact that she has not dropped a single set in six matches. She has not only beaten her opponents, she has literally torn them apart.
Barty dropped 21 games, which is a phenomenal rate. I don’t want to diminish her success, but of course I also have to talk about the ladies she defeated so clearly. There was not one really strong one here.
Lessja Zurenko, Lucia Bronzetti, Camilla Giorgi, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pagula and Madison Keys are certainly not bad, but they all have nothing to do with the top 20. A little luck is also needed to play your way into the final.
In these six matches, Barty did not even have to go to her absolute limit. Danielle Collins, a player who barely made it into the Top 30, is waiting for her. The two have already played each other four times.
The Australian won three times, one of them at the French Open 2019, shortly before winning the title. The most recent duel a year ago, however, went to Collins. Of course, that’s not enough for the bookies to consider her a favourite.
So no one is counting on Danielle Collins, whether this is exactly her chance? A Melbourne 2019 semi-final was her biggest achievement to date, now it’s followed by a final appearance.
Until the semi-finals, the US American was also lucky to avoid the really tough ones. She beat Caroline Dolehide and Ana Konjuh in two sets and needed a third against Clara Tauson and Elise Mertens.
Both times she came back from a deficit. Again in two sets, she first beat Alize Cornet before the world number nine Iga Swiatek was waiting. The young Pole had already shown problems in the previous rounds, and Collins was able to take advantage of that.
Although she was considered an outsider, she won 6-4, 6-1 – and completely deserved it. She only offered Swiatek three break chances and played her game consistently. How will her concentration be now in the most important match of her career?
My Barty Collins Final Tip
Danielle Collins is certainly not to be underestimated, but her win over Iga Swiatek was also so clear because the Pole served very weakly and was nervous. Can you beat Barty in Melbourne? In my eyes, that’s probably an impossibility!
Therefore my tip: Barty wins (again) in two sets!
