Ash Barty to face Danielle Collins in bid to end Australian title drought

Ash Barty ended a 42-year drought just by reaching the Australian Open final.

The top-ranked Barty, who beat Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3, needs one more victory to be the first Australian woman to win her home Grand Slam title since 1978.

Danielle Collins is in her way. The 28-year-old American was dominant in a 6-4, 6-1 win over 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek in the second of the two semifinals on Thursday.

The women's final is set for Saturday. Collins said the chance to take on Barty for the title at her home Grand Slam is going to be "spectacular."

Barty is the first Australian since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 to reach the women's singles final at the tournament. Chris O'Neil was the last Australian to win it, two years before that.

Barty has already won major titles on grass at Wimbledon and clay at the French Open. Collins is into her first Grand Slam final.

Both semifinals were over quickly.

Barty hit 20 winners to only eight for Keys. She converted four of her six break-point opportunities, and saved the only two break points she faced on her serve against the 2017 U.S. Open champion runner-up. In six matches so far at the tournament, she has dropped one service game.

"It's unreal. Honestly, it's just incredible," Barty said in her on-court TV interview. "I love coming out here and playing in Australia.

"As an Aussie, we're exceptionally spoiled we get to play in our own back yard. Now we have a chance to play for a title. It's unreal."

The 27th-seeded Collins took only 78 minutes to beat the seventh-seeded Swiatek. Her forehand cross-court winner to set up her first match points was typical of her semifinal form. She hit 27 winners, had only 13 unforced errors and imposed her relentless energy on the match.

She