Barty emulates idol Goolagong to claim first Wimbledon title

Monday, 12 July 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty holds the trophy after winning her final match against Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters): Ash Barty joined an illustrious list of Australian names etched on Wimbledon silverware as she beat Karolina Pliskova in a nerve-shredding final to become the first woman from Down Under to win the singles title for 41 years on Saturday.

The 25-year-old world number one looked on course for an embarrassingly easy triumph as eighth seed Pliskova suffered one of the worst starts ever seen in a Wimbledon final, but eventually needed her best to claim a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3 victory.

After Pliskova struck a backhand into the net following one hour and 55 minutes of see-sawing action, Barty sank to her knees in realisation of fulfilling a childhood dream.

With tears running down her cheeks she then climbed into the stands towards her team, a tradition started by compatriot Pat Cash when he won the men’s singles in 1987.

When she returned to the lush grass, she spoke of her joy of emulating her idol Evonne Goolagong who won the first of her two Wimbledon titles 50 years ago, before adding her second in 1980, since when no Australian woman had won the singles. Barty, like Goolagong, takes great pride in her indigenous heritage and has worn a scalloped-edged retro outfit in honour of the Australian trailblazer.

“I said just keep fighting,” Barty, whose participation at Wimbledon had been in doubt after she withdrew from the French Open last month with a hip injury, said on court after receiving the Venus Rosewater Dish from the Duchess of Cambridge.“Kaja (Karolina) brought out the very best of me today. It took me a long time to verbalise that I wanted to win this incredible tournament... being able to live out my dream right now is better than I ever could have imagined.

“I didn’t sleep a lot last night and as I was thinking of all the what ifs but I felt at home out on the court. I hope I made Evonne proud.”

Barty won her maiden Grand Slam at the 2019 French Open but joining the likes of Goolagong, Margaret Court, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and John Newcombe as a Wimbledon champion cements her name amongst Australian sporting greats.Not since 1977 had two first-time Wimbledon finalists gone head to head in the women’s championship match.