Ashleigh Barty capped a memorable day for home fans at the Australian Open by ending the country’s long wait for a women’s singles finalist.
Barty continued to blaze her way through the draw by dispatching Madison Keys 6-1 6-3 while Danielle Collins reached her first grand-slam final with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Iga Swiatek.
Earlier, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis were roared into the final of the men’s doubles by a huge crowd while wheelchair star Dylan Alcott had to settle for the runners-up trophy on his farewell appearance.
A true legend whose impact on the game of tennis will live on in perpetuity.
Congratulations on your retirement, @DylanAlcott, and thank you for all you have done to allow the next generation of wheelchair tennis players to dream big. #AusOpen #AusOpen2022 https://t.co/YGEcJNt5f9
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 27, 2022
🇪🇸 Seventh (Semifinal) Heaven 🇪🇸@RafaelNadal • #AO2022 • #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qW75Z3wGIc
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2022
Rafael Nadal returns to Rod Laver Arena on Friday as the men’s semi-finals take centre stage. Nadal, who is bidding to win his first Australian Open title since 2009, meets Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini in the first match. That is followed in the evening session by a rematch of last year’s clash between title favourite Daniil Medvedev and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.