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Match details
Fixture: (1) Ashleigh Barty vs (27) Danielle Collins
Date: 29 January 2022
Tournament: Australian Open 2022
Round: Final
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $75,000,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv
Ashleigh Barty vs Danielle Collins preview
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will look to get her hands on her third Grand Slam crown when she squares off against 27th seed Danielle Collins in the Australian Open final on Saturday.
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Barty has been in incredible touch all fortnight. The reigning Wimbledon champion has steamrolled her opponents, conceding only 21 games in six matches, the fourth-fewest a player has dropped en route to a women's singles Slam final this century.
The 25-year-old began the season by winning in Adelaide, and has extended her winning streak to 10 with her performances in Melbourne.
After five straightforward victories, Barty was expected to face a stern challenge in the semifinals against Madison Keys. But the Australian came out all guns blazing, preventing the American from settling into a rhythm. Keys, who was coming off a title win in Adelaide, had no answer to the two-time Grand Slam champion's guile and variety.
With her 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Keys, Barty became the first Australian to reach the final of the Melbourne Slam since Wendy Turnbull in 1980. The top seed is bidding to become the first homegrown women's singles champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978.
However, Barty might not have it all her way on Saturday. Her opponent, Danielle Collins, is the last player to have beaten the World No. 1 in Australia, doing so in Adelaide last year.
Since undergoing surgery for endometriosis last April, the American has compiled an impressive 36-10 win-loss record, which includes titles at Palermo and San Jose.
In her first tournament of the season, the 28-year-old has served up a brutal display of power tennis, dropping a solitary set in six matches. The World No. 30 progressed to her maiden Grand Slam final with wins over quality players such as seventh seed Iga Swiatek, 19th seed Elise Mertens, rising star Clara Tauson and Ana Konjuh.
The Collins juggernaut absolutely flattened the 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek in their semifinal meeting on Thursday. Collins started strongly and never took her foot off the pedal as she raced to a 6-4, 6-1 win, suffocating the Pole with her attacking play.
The American, who is set to make her top-10 debut next week, will hope to carry that confidence into the final against Barty.
Ashleigh Barty vs Danielle Collins head-to-head
Ashleigh Barty leads the head-to-head against Danielle Collins 3-1. However, the American has troubled Barty in their last two meetings, both of which came in Adelaide. The Aussie edged Collins 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) in 2020, but the World No. 30 turned the tables on Barty the next year with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Ashleigh Barty vs Danielle Collins prediction
Ashleigh Barty is the overwhelming favorite to win the Australian Open by dint of her ranking and consistency. But Danielle Collins could be a threat if she plays well.
The American likes to take the ball early, planting herself inside the baseline on returns. She repeatedly crushed Iga Swiatek's second serves in their semi-final match, winning 86% of the points.
But she is unlikely to get too many looks at second serves against Barty, who is one of the best servers on the women's circuit. The Australian has been broken just once this fortnight, and conceded just 10 points on serve against the dangerous Madison Keys in their last-four showdown.
Clearly, getting points on the Barty serve is a herculean task. What makes the Australian even more difficult to play is her backhand slice. At this year's Australian Open, Barty has been extremely effective with that shot, using it time and again to disrupt the rhythm of her aggressive opponents.
The Aussie will once again resort to her backhand slice to throw Collins off her game. She will also look to move the American around the court with her short angles and varied spins to draw errors from her racquet.
It is thus crucial for Collins to serve well if she wants to go toe-to-toe with the home favorite. The 28-year-old does have the game to make Barty work hard but she could also succumb to nerves in her first-ever Grand Slam final. Barty, on the other hand, has already been in two Major finals and that could be the difference-maker in this contest.
Prediction: Ashleigh Barty to win in two tight sets.
