Ash Barty is rolling at the Australian Open, looking to become the first Australian to win the event in singles in 44 years.
Barty lost just 21 games total in her first six matches, marching into the final. She gets American Danielle Collins, who is in her first major final at age 28, breaking into the top 10 for the first time.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka, who would have played Barty in the fourth round, was upset by American Amanda Anisimova in round three. That left no women in the field who own more than two major singles titles.
Serena Williams hasn’t played since retiring from her Wimbledon first-round match with a right hamstring injury. Sister Venus’ ranking has dropped out of the top 1,000, and she neither entered qualifying nor was on the main draw wild card list.
Emma Raducanu, the British qualifier who won the U.S. Open, was among high seeds to exit in the second round. The others: No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza, No. 6 Anett Kontaveit and No. 12 Elena Rybakina.
The top two American women were upset in the first round -- No. 11 Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, and No. 18 Coco Gauff, at 17 the youngest player in the top 200.
MORE: Australian Open Men’s Draw
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