London: Ashleigh Barty defeated Karolina Pliskova to clinch Wimbledon women’s singles crown on Saturday. The Australian World No.1 got better of her Czech counterpart with a 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3 victory to win only her second Grand Slam title.
Barty, a former cricketer who switched to tennis five-six years back, is also the second Australian to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title after Evonne Goolagong Cawley won it in 1980. It is also the first woman’s Wimbledon final to go to three sets since 2012 when Serena Williams beat Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska.
🏆 #Wimbledon | @ashbarty pic.twitter.com/JC25bcZp8X
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2021
The 25-year-old Barty also wore a specially-designed dress in tribute to Cawley’s iconic scallop one she sported in 1971. Barty’s maiden Grand Slam title came in 2019 when she won the French Open. The Australian started on a dominating note in the first set going 3-0 up in no time.
Pliskova grabbed two quick points to make a comeback before Barty made inroads again to pocket the first set. The 29-year-old Pliskova came back from behind twice in the second set to make scores level and force a decider.
The third set is a repeat of the first with Barty once again dominating the proceedings and eventually the title. “I hope I made Evonne proud,” said Barty about her mentor Goolagong Cawley at the post-match interview.
