A modern day Australian icon, Barty a throwback to golden generation

MELBOURNE : When Evonne Goolagong Cawley first set eyes on Ash Barty in Melbourne, she was mesmerised.

Barty was only a teenager but she already had the style of the type of player the four-time Australian Open winner had been waiting for, for what felt like a lifetime, to emerge from the women's ranks.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Goolagong Cawley will be watching her friend play in the Australian Open final against Danielle Collins on Saturday from her lounge room in Queensland.

Similarly to Barty's run to last year's Wimbledon final, Goolagong Cawley has decided not to speak until after the world number one's first Australian Open final.

That worked a treat last July.

After Barty broke through for a maiden major title at Roland Garros in 2019, she compared her style to Roger Federer.

"I remember seeing her for the first time during the Australian Open ... and I saw one point and she had every shot involved in that one point and all the skills came out and, even though she lost that match, I just knew she had it," she said.

Barty's athleticism is remarkable. Her team is small but, in line with current trends, features a mindset coach to sharpen her mind and well-being.

But in her style and demeanour, from her skidding sliced backhands to the humility with which she treats success, she is also a throwback to Australia's golden generation.

Links to those champions are as strong as her serve, which has been broken only once in this Australian Open.

In addition to having Goolagong Cawley as a mentor, Barty is friends with Pat Rafter, the popular Australian once coached by Tony Roche, who in turn was a member of the generation of talent harnessed by legendary coach Harry Hopman.

Rod Laver has been courtside for her matches this