Ashleigh Barty beats Karolina Pliskova in three sets to win Wimbledon for her 2nd Grand Slam title.
More to follow…
03:11 PM
The winning moment
03:10 PM
Destiny complete
Ashleigh Barty becomes the first Australian woman to win a Wimbledon singles title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980.
03:09 PM
Barty’s fellow Aussie
03:04 PM
Barty* 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 Pliskova
Great stretch by Barty to reach a high backhand volley and hit the winner, 15-0. Barty backhand slice into the net, 15-15. Pliskova forehand wide, 30-15.
Deep Pliskova forehand catches out Barty, 30-30. This is very tense. Barty drive forehand into the net. Break point Pliskova.
Pliskova backhand wide, bad miss, deuce. Barty ace. First championship point. Pliskova backhand into the net.
GAME. SET. MATCH. Ashleigh Barty is the Wimbledon champion.
03:00 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-7, 5-3 Pliskova*
Another lovely rally between the two women ends with a Pliskova drop volley winner, 15-0. Barty overhead winner, 15-15. She will want to finish this match now.
Pliskova backhand overhead clips the net and drops dead on Barty’s side. Pliskova double fault, 30-30.
Pliskova backhand volley winner, 40-30 and an ace to finish. Barty will have to serve it out. Here we go!
02:54 PM
Barty* 6-3, 6-7, 5-2 Pliskova
Barty overhead winner, 15-15. Injection of pace by Barty is too much for Pliskova, 30-15. But the Czech hits back on the next point with a forehand winner.
Pliskova forehand mis-hit, 40-30. Pliskova forehand wide. Barty is once again a game away from the title.
02:49 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-7, 4-2 Pliskova*
Pliskova isn’t going away yet. She hits a forehand winner to move 30-0 ahead. Barty then nets a backhand, 40-0.
Barty drive forehand winner, 40-15. Good aggressive point by the Aussie. Pliskova overhead winner to hold.
02:46 PM
Barty* 6-3, 6-7, 4-1 Pliskova
Huge hitting by Barty and she finishes with a forehand winner, 30-15. But Pliskova responds with a blistering winner of her own, 30-30.
Pliskova dumps a tame forehand into the net, 40-30. She might regret that.
Pliskova backhand wide, Barty holds.
02:42 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-7, 3-1 Pliskova*
Pliskova forehand winner, 30-0. Barty nets an attempted forehand pass, 40-0.
Pliskova holds with a forehand winner down the line. A vital hold.
02:40 PM
Barty* 6-3, 6-7, 3-0 Pliskova
Barty overhead winner, 15-0. Pliskova forehand into the net, 30-0. Barty forehand winner, 40-0. Barty forehand long, 40-15. Then a double fault. Both still showing signs of nerves.
Pliskova forehand long and Barty hangs on.
02:36 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-7, 2-0 Pliskova*
Error strewn game for Pliskova as she falls to 0-40. She saves the first break point but inexplicably nets a simple volley to drop serve. Poor game.
02:32 PM
Third set: Barty* 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 Pliskova
Ideal start to the set as Barty races to 40-0. A forehand error by Barty makes it 40-30. Then a forehand volley by Pliskova makes it deuce.
Barty survives the scare to hold. That could be an important hold.
02:29 PM
Final set decider
02:26 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-7 Pliskova – TIEBREAK
Barty forehand error, 0-1. Pliskova lovely wide, 1-1. Pliskova forehand into the net, 2-1. Pliskova forehand hits the top of the net and drops on Barty’s side, 2-2. Barty backhand slice into the net, 2-3. Barty backhand into the net, 2-4.
Rally of the match get the crowd on their feet and it ends with a Pliskova overhead winner, 2-5. Barty forehand into the net, 2-6. Pliskova sliced backhand wide, 3-6. Pliskova return wide, 4-6. Barty double fault, 4-7.
We are going the distance.
02:18 PM
Barty* 6-3, 6-6 Pliskova
Barty double fault to open the game, 0-15. Pliskova forehand into the net, 15-15. Big Pliskova return and Barty hits a forehand wide, 15-30. Barty forehand long, two break points. Barty forehand long, Pliskova breaks back to live on.
Very nervous game. Tiebreak time!
02:14 PM
Barty 6-3, 6-5 Pliskova*
The Pliskova serve has started firing. Two big serves then an ace to reach 40-0. But she doesn’t bend her knees well enough and nets an easy volley, 40-15.
Lovely Barty forehand winner, 40-30. She’s not giving up on this game yet.
And she’s right not to as Pliskova hits a backhand wide, deuce. Great defence by Barty and Pliskova crumbles as she puts a forehand long. Break point.
Pliskova backhand into the net. Barty breaks and will serve for the title.
02:09 PM
Barty* 6-3, 5-5 Pliskova
Solid hold to 15 by Barty. This is more like the match we were expecting. Big hitting but evenly matched.
02:05 PM
Barty 6-3, 4-5 Pliskova*
Pliskova is full of confidence right now and it shows as she puts a backhand down the line for a winner, 30-0.
Ace No 4, 40-0. And she holds when Barty frames a forehand wide.
02:02 PM
Barty* 6-3, 4-4 Pliskova
Back to back Barty forehand winners are called out. She challenged both and got them right. Instead of 0-30 it is 30-0.
Pliskova forehand long, 40-0. And Barty holds when Pliskova nets a forehand.
01:58 PM
Barty 6-3, 3-4 Pliskova*
That’s more like it from Pliskova as she bosses the baseline and finishes with a forehand winner, 15-0.
Barty forehand into the net, 30-0. Pliskova ace, 115mph, her biggest of the match.
Barty stays in the game with a nice backhand but Pliskova completes a hold to 15. Great composure by Pliskova.
01:55 PM
Barty* 6-3, 3-3 Pliskova
Barty double fault to open the game. Then a forehand error. A slight opening for Pliskova?
Wow. Brilliant forehand return winner by Pliskova. Her best shot of the day. Three break points.
Barty forehand into the net and we are back level in the second set.
01:51 PM
Barty 6-3, 3-2 Pliskova*
Must win game for Pliskova and she gets 30-0 ahead. Barty responds with a series of punishing forehands and drills a winner into the corner.
Pliskova backhand slice drops out, 30-30. Ace No 2 for Pliskova, 40-30. And another big serve to hold. She’s hanging on. Just…
01:48 PM
Barty* 6-3, 3-1 Pliskova
Barty double fault, 30-30. But she follows it with a big first serve, 40-30. And then an ace to extend her lead.
Great poise and confidence.
01:45 PM
Barty 6-3, 2-1 Pliskova*
Pliskova double fault, 0-30. Barty then dominates the rally and forces an error, three break points.
Pliskova forehand into the net. That’s the fourth time she’s been broken. Looking ominous for the Czech…
01:43 PM
Barty* 6-3, 1-1 Pliskova
Barty keeps up her momentum with a comfortable love hold.
01:40 PM
Second set: Barty 6-3, 0-1 Pliskova*
Barty backhand long, 30-15. Pliskova hits her first ace of the match, 40-15. And another big serve gives her lead in the set.
01:38 PM
Hello Emma!
01:36 PM
Barty* 6-3 Pliskova
Barty forehand winner, 30-0. And another after a big first serve. Three set points.
Pliskova forehand flies wide and Barty takes the opening set.
01:34 PM
Barty 5-3 Pliskova*
Pliskova moves to 30-0 in her battle to hold serve for the first time. Barty then nets a forehand, 40-0.
And that’s her best game of the set so far as she holds to love. Game on?
01:31 PM
Barty* 5-2 Pliskova
Glorius forehand pass by Barty, 15-15. But she then double faults, 15-30. Defensive backhand wide by Barty, two break points.
Boom. Pliskova forehand return winner. Barty doesn’t move. Service breaks all over the place.
01:28 PM
Barty 5-1 Pliskova*
Pliskova’s first serve has arrived and it gets her some free points as she moves to 30-15. But she nets a backhand and is down a break point again.
And it is another break of the Pliskova serve as she puts a forehand long. After just 20 minutes, Barty is serving for the set.
01:23 PM
Barty* 4-1 Pliskova
An opening for Plsikova as Barty puts a forehand long, 0-30. Another Barty error and it’s three break points for Pliskova. And she will feel an awful lot better as Barty nets a forehand.
Pliskova gets on the scoreboard finally.
01:19 PM
Barty 4-0 Pliskova*
First point of the match finally arrives for Pliskova as Barty nets a backhand slice, 15-30. But Barty gets the slice right on the next point and Pliskova nets. Two break points.
Pliskova saves the first. But she double faults on the second. Double break for Barty.
01:17 PM
Barty* 3-0 Pliskova
Another love hold for Barty. 12 points in a row. A remarkable start to the match.
Very nervous start by Pliskova.
01:14 PM
Barty 2-0 Pliskova*
Barty is on it right now. She lobs Pliskova to lead 0-30. The Czech then nets a backhand. Barty backhand winner down the line to break. Barty has won the first eight points of the match.
Meanwhile, royalty in the building…
01:11 PM
First set: Ashleigh Barty* 1-0 Karolina Pliskova (*denotes server)
Barty will serve first in the final and she wins the opening point with a backhand winner as Pliskova slips.
The Aussie then hits her first ace of the match. And she completes a love hold with another big serve to make an ideal start.
01:03 PM
‘Evonne and I are family’
Ahead of Wimbledon, Barty spoke to our chief sports writer Oliver Brown about what it would mean to emulate Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s first Grand Slam triumph.
“Evonne and I are family,” she says. “We share heritage, and that’s very special to me. It’s important for me to understand that being indigenous is part of who I am. I can’t change it, I’m very proud of it. Today, I’m the indigenous ambassador for Tennis Australia. I’m determined to bring change for the people, to guide their children into a healthier lifestyle, not just through education but sport. Evonne created the stepping stones, but I want to create my own path.”
Read more here.
01:01 PM
The players make their way onto court
Rapturous reception as the two players come onto court.
12:55 PM
Head to head record: Barty leads 5-2
Last five meetings (year/result/tournament/surface):
2021 Barty beat Pliskova 2-6 6-1 7-5 Stuttgart, clay
2019 Barty beat Pliskova 4-6 6-2 6-3 WTA Finals, hard
2019 Barty beat Pliskova 7-6(1) 6-3 Miami, hard
2018 Pliskova beat Barty 6-4 6-4 U.S. Open, hard
2017 Barty beat Pliskova 4-6 7-6(3) 7-6(2) Wuhan, hard
12:50 PM
The roof is open
Looks like we are going to have an outdoor final but don’t be shocked if we have an interuption for rain at some point…
12:45 PM
Tale of the tape: Pliskova
Age: 29
Nation: Czech Republic
WTA ranking: 13
Grand Slam titles: 0
Road to final – First round: Tamara Zidansek (Slovenia) 7-5 6-4 Second round: Donna Vekic (Croatia) 6-2 6-2 Third round: Tereza Martincova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-3 Fourth round: Liudmila Samsonova (Russia) 6-2 6-3 Quarter-finals: Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) 6-2 6-2 Semi-finals: 2-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 5-7 6-4 6-4
12:39 PM
Tale of the tape: Barty
Age: 25
Nation: Australia
WTA ranking: 1
Grand Slam titles: 1 (French Open 2019)
Road to final – First round: Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-1 6-7(1) 6-1 Second round: Anna Blinkova (Russia) 6-4 6-3 Third round: Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-5 Fourth round: 14-Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) 7-5 6-3 Quarter-finals: Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) 6-1 6-3 Semi-finals: 25-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-3 7-6(3)
12:33 PM
First time Wimbledon winner
Whatever happens, we will have a first-time Wimbledon winner today as neither player has reached the final here before.
Pliskova is aiming for her maiden Grand Slam title while Barty won the French Open in 2019.
12:25 PM
The umpire
James Keothavong, brother of former British player Anne, will be the chair umpire for the final.
He’s very experienced and should handle the occasion with no trouble.
12:16 PM
Centre Court
The Centre Court roof is closed. Wimbledon officials are hoping for the roof to be open but we’ll see how the weather holds up.
The forecast isn’t great…
12:09 PM
Keeping a close eye
Due to the rain at Wimbledon this morning, Barty and Pliskova practised on Court One at the same time, side by side. Nobody gets to practise on Centre Court!
11:48 AM
Hello
In tennis, there is one exclusive club few want to join: that of former world No 1 players who have never won a grand slam title.
Across women’s and men’s tennis alumni, there are just three players from the Open Era who fit the description: Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Marcelo Rios. Across active players, just one: Karolina Pliskova. On Saturday she has a chance to finally cancel her membership, as she attempts to beat world No 1 Ashleigh Barty to the Wimbledon title and finally back up her previous top ranking.
She came this close five years ago, at the 2016 US Open final. She ultimately lost, but the following season reached her No 1 ranking and was touted as a definite future champion.
“Five years back we were thinking that she is the next to win a major,” three-time major champion Tracy Austin says. “Then we were thinking her time had passed. [There is] a big difference to winning a major and not winning one when you retire. It can start to get into your head, and I think everybody would want to remove that label.”
Pliskova, 29, has long been the best player never to reach the pinnacle of the sport. She replaced Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, who held the burden for much of her career, before winning the Australian Open in 2018. It is something that can weigh a player down, and can mean they are routinely under-appreciated.
Earlier this week, Pliskova complained that she had not been scheduled on a show court until the quarter-final stage. But it is not hugely surprising as she has dropped down the pecking order in recent years. Since reaching the semi-finals at the 2019 Australian Open, the Czech has failed to get past the fourth round at the past eight majors.
Even her start to 2021 has been poor, dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since 2016. Her new coach, Sascha Bajin, who previously helped Naomi Osaka to her first two majors and was Serena Williams’s hitting partner, says the mental hurdle of reaching for that first major title is something he and Pliskova have discussed.
“It’s something she wanted so much – the problem becomes if you want something so much, it’s just as bad as not wanting it enough,” he said yesterday. “It kind of paralyses you and it looks like you don’t care, when it’s the complete opposite.”
To alleviate the pressure, at the Australian Open in January he told her to take each match one at a time – treat it the same as any other tournament. But Pliskova went out in the third round and then the second round at the French in May. So he did about-turn for Wimbledon.
“This time I was telling her, ‘Listen, you’re going to win this, you’re going to be here for two weeks’. I wanted to put that in her mind every day,” he said, adding with a smile: “At least it worked.” That it did. Pliskova has dropped only one set in her run at SW19, is leading the field in aces and has dropped serve only four times. The pressure of expectation does not seem to be hampering her in any way, looking more relaxed than she has in years.
Usually one to keep her emotions at bay on the court, against second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final she showed frustration after dropping the first set and then even laughed at her poor ball toss on match point. It was as refreshing a sight as her top-level tennis was. Martina Navratilova, who has won 18 major titles, believes Bajin’s influence has been key.
“That is where Sascha has had a great influence on her, just relaxing her,” she said. “The way she carries herself on court is a different person now. It’s the best tennis she has probably ever played – better than when she beat Serena Williams five years ago in the semi-finals of the US Open.”
She will have to beat world No 1 Barty to become the fifth-oldest first-time major winner in the Open Era today. Only then will she have etched her name into the history books for tennis’s most-coveted prize – and erase the sport’s most undesirable statistic from her record.
By Molly McElwee