World number one, Ashleigh Barty, on Saturday became the first woman from Australia in 41 years to win the Wimbledon singles title.
Barty’s idol Evonne Goolagong won it in 1980. In the first set, 25-year-old Barty looked on course for a triumph as her Czech opponent, Karolina Pliskova, suffered one of the worst starts ever seen in the tournament’s final.
It was Barty who got the first 14 points of the match with clinical precision.
But Pliskova fought back – and the pair played a third set… which Barty won 6-3.
She sank to her knees in realization of fulfilling a childhood dream.
Then Barty – whose participation at Wimbledon had been in doubt after she withdrew from the French Open last month with a hip injury – climbed into the stands towards her team, a tradition started by fellow Australian tennis player Pat Cash when he won the men’s singles title in 1987.
Back on the grass court, Barty told the crowd, “being able to live out my dream right now is better than I ever could have imagined.”
The smiling Australian received the Venus Rosewater Dish from the Duchess of Cambridge, who had watched the victory from the stands with her husband, Prince William.