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| Dream come true for Ashleigh Barty Image courtesy: Wimbledon.com |
I was rooting for Ashleigh Barty, the plucky 25-year-old Australian, and I am so glad that she made it.
She adds the Venus Rosewater Dish to the Suzanne Lenglen trophy (the French Open) she won in 2019.
Initially, I was worried this would be a one-sided damp squib, as her opponent, 29-year-old former world number 1, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic seemed to have given up right from the word go.
DULL START
Pliskova conceded the first 14 points to Barty who seemed to be having a free run picking up the first 4 games. A semblance of some fight followed with Pliskova picking up the next game after securing a break.
She again broke to make it 2-5 and held the serve to make it 3-5. But Barty wrapped up the set at 6-3.
GRIPPING 2ND SET
The 2nd game was the best. Barty's crafty backhand slice and Pliskova's powerful serve were in full display, with a number of well-timed and well-placed strokes making the set absolutely gripping as the two players moved ahead neck and neck.
After losing the opening game which was a Pliskova serve, Barty broke the 3rd and held the fourth to move ahead 3-1. Pliskova caught up to make it 3-3 and moved ahead again 4-3. The game ended up in a tie-break, with Barty losing 4-7.
BARTY SEALS IT
With one set all, it was start over, and fingers crossed. Barty opened the set and raced ahead to 3-0. Pliskova picked up the 4th, 6th and 8th game by holding her serve. This set was very much like the first one. The early advantage that Barty got stood her in good stead. She was well and truly ahead and closed the set with the next game at 6-3.
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| Well played, Karolina Pliskova Image courtesy: Eurosport |
HISTORIC
Barty's win comes exactly 10 years after she had won the junior Wimbledon title; 50 years after an Australian (Evonne Goolagong Cawley) won the cup in 1971, and 5 years after a world number one (Serena Williams) won the title in 2016.
It's no surprise that Barty was so overcome with emotion. After that Wimbledon Junior title victory at the age of 15, she went on to play for another three years. Then she felt the stress too much to handle.
She quit active tennis. "It was too much too quickly for me as I've been travelling from quite a young age ... I wanted to experience life as a normal teenaged girl and have some normal experiences," she told Cricket Australia.
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| When Barty switched to cricket in 2014-16 Image courtesy: Cricket Australia |
She switched to cricket, and with no prior experience in the game, in just one year she made a mark for the Brisbane Heat team in the Women's Big Bash League.
After two years with cricket, she returned to her first love and began chasing her dream.
And it became a reality today.
WIN FOR AUSTRALIA
Barty's win also means a lot for Australian sport. She traces her lineage, via her great grandmother, to an indigenous Australian group of people called Ngarigu.
Coincidentally, Barty's friend, inspiration and mentor, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, now 66 years old, the Australian who previously won the Wimbledon Singles Trophy in 1971, too belongs to an indigenous community, the Wiradjuri people.
SUPER SUNDAY
Tomorrow is going to be a great sporting day.
There's the final of Copa America at 5.30 am IST, between Brazil and Argentina.
In the evening at 6.30 is the Wimbledon Men's Final, Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini.
Late in the night at 12.30 is the European Championship, Euro 2020, final between England and Italy.
I am not sure if I will be able to wake up as early as 5.30. Maybe I will be able to catch 2nd half. Let me see.