Ash Barty determined not to let the weight of history drag her down

Home pressure is a concept of legendary status at the Australian Open. Just ask Sam Stosur. Or Lleyton Hewitt. Or Pat Rafter. Each and every year a new number is added to the same statistic. As long as 1978 gets a mention the picture is painted, the inglorious drought of Australia’s players at their home grand slam once again wrenched from the history books and hoisted about as high as that trophy might be had anyone actually won the thing recently.

Being 2022, it is now 44 years since Christine O’Neil did, on grass, at Kooyong. Ash Barty, of course, knows all of this. Her results of the past three years here read: quarter-final, semi-final, quarter-final. She too would have felt the infamous squeeze in her chest of an expectant country behind her.

Not that Barty would speak publicly about it – or at all, for all we know. She is a self-described “creature of habit”. She keeps her powder dry. Nice and predictable. And, predictably, having now sat atop the world rankings for more than two-and-a-half years, the 25-year-old is quite some distance above the rest of the women’s singles field.

Similarly, as anticipated, she is playing it cool and channelling Billie Jean “pressure is a privilege” King. “Absolutely embrace it,” Barty said. “You have to. It’s fun. It’s brilliant to be playing in the business end of your home slam. I’m not gonna lie about that. It’s amazing.

“Being able to experience it multiple times has been incredible, but Saturday’s going to be a new experience for me. So I go out there and embrace it, smile, try and do the best that I can and whatever happens, happens.”

Few would bet against her beating Danielle Collins in the final. The American has been a feelgood story this tournament, and she too is making