Australian Open women's final predictions & tennis betting tips: Barty v Collins

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for the Australian Open women's singles between Ashleigh Barty and Danielle Collins.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1, 8.30am Saturday

Best bet

Ashleigh Barty to win 2-1
1pt 3-1 bet365, Hills

Women's final preview

Less than six years after she returned from a break in her tennis career, Ashleigh Barty stands on the edge of Australian sporting history.

Should top seed Barty beat plucky American Danielle Collins in the final of the Australian Open this weekend, she will become the first player from her country to win the Melbourne Grand Slam in 43 years.

It is about as pressured as it gets for a tennis pro but as Barty's performances this month suggest, she can handle the weight of expectation.

Her 6-1 6-3 demolition of a resurgent Madison Keys in the semi-final ensured she goes into this week's final yet to drop a set and having lost only 21 games in her six matches.

That last match took her only 63 minutes to win and she has won 24 of her 26 matches since the start of last year's Wimbledon, where she came out on top to take her Grand Slam title tally to two.

Her best showing at Melbourne before this year was a run to the semi-finals in 2020, while she fell at the quarter-final stage last season against Karolina Muchova.

But even in that short space of time she has grown significantly and this year's semi-final opponent Keys insists this is the best Barty has ever played.

While history beckons for Barty this weekend, she should not be complacent as opponent Collins has herself overcome adversity to reach this milestone.

The American is through to the final of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career despite having undergone surgery for endometriosis less than a year ago.

And her steely determination was clear to see in victory over Iga Swiatek in the semi-final as Collins prevailed after only 78 minutes.

She made only 13 unforced errors in that contest, was seen standing during changeovers, and is also a woman on a mission.

She may fall short in the end but bookmakers could be underestimating the American by pricing Barty at 1-5 to win this match.

Barty should ultimately have too much but Collins can become the first player in this year's tournament to take a set off the Australian ace in what should be a thrilling final.

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