World No. 1 Ash Barty will become the first Australian woman to contest a Wimbledon final in 41 years, after her straight sets semi-final win against German Angelique Kerber overnight.
Barty described the win as close to “as good a tennis match as I’ll ever play”, as she came away with a score of 6-3 7-6 (7-3). With the win, Barty will have the chance to win her second grand slam final, the first win being the French Open in 2019.
EvonneGoolagong Cawley, a hero of Barty’s, was the last Australian woman to win Wimbledon in 1980.
Barty’s semi-final opponent Angelique Kerber, who won the Wimbledon title in 2018, put on a tough match for Barty, especially in the second set that ended in a tie-break. It’s was considered by many commentators that highest-quality match of Barty’s career.
“Angie brought the best out of me. It was a hell of a match, right from the first ball and I knew it was going to have to be that good just to compete with her,” she said.
After the match, Barty said that with her ongoing hip injury, she was unsure if she would even be able to play at Wimbledon this year.
“I mean, we had 23 or 24 days in between finishing up in Paris and my first round here,” she said.
“To be honest, it was going to be touch-and-go. Everything had to be spot on to give myself a chance to play pain-free and to play knowing that I could trust my body.
“To know that my body’s held up over a fortnight off a different preparation, and just being able to accept that I could trust everything that we’ve done to the best of our ability, is incredible.”
And then there were two.
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Barty said getting to play in the Wimbledon final this weekend will see her live out a childhood dream.
“I’ve had an incredible journey. I wouldn’t change one moment. It’s been unique, it’s been incredible, it’s been tough. Being able to play on the final Saturday here at Wimbledon is just going to be the best experience ever,” she said.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself and my team and now, we get the chance on Saturday to live out a childhood dream.”
On Saturday night, Barty will come up against World No. 13 Karolina Pliskova in the final.