Much has been made over Ashleigh Barty’s unabashed show of emotion in the wake of her straight sets triumph in the Australian Open ladies’ singles final the other day. The World Number One chucked her normally reserved demeanor and let out a definitive roar after a crosscourt forehand gave her the tie-break win in front of a capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena. That she was the overwhelming favorite heading into the set-to against 27th-seed Danielle Collins cannot be denied. Then again, there is likewise no discounting the pressure she was on as she aimed to become the first Australian to claim a title in the first major tour meant of the year since Chris O’Neil in 1978. And so she celebrated, and celebrated again after she acknowledged her opponent and chair umpire Marianna Veljovic.
To be sure, Barty’s out-of-character reactions still pale in comparison to those typically seen in the aftermath of victories in the finals of Grand Slam events. In any case, she can be forgiven for her relative excesses in the face of the burden she carried as the flag bearer of the host country. The responsibility, as she found out in her last three go-rounds in Melbourne Park, was no joke. Her quarterfinal-semifinal-quarterfinal round exits did, however, wind up motivating her even more — no small feat considering that she nearly walked away from the sport and took up another — cricket, of course — just a little over half a decade ago.
Barty’s dominant turn on the acrylic hardcourt to get her hands on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup certainly eclipsed any previous failures. She didn’t drop a single set en route; in fact, she lost only 21 games on aggregate prior to the final. And although she found herself down 1-5 in the second set the other day, she managed to overcome her nerves and close the deal, punctuating her comeback by taking seven of the nine points played in the tie-break. For all the conclusions that can be drawn from the final score, Collins really didn’t have a chance. The fans were too partisan and the moment too big for the latter to prevail.
The quest for all-time relevance doesn’t end for Barty, though. She’s three of three in major championship finals, with the United States Open the only mountain left to climb for a career Grand Slam. And because there’s a new objective for her, she’ll definitely be back to her calm, unflinching self — until, that is, she triumphs once more.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
