Ashleigh Barty completed a memorable double for Australia when she won the Wimbledon girls’ singles title with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Russia’s Irina Khromacheva in the final on Sunday.
Just 24 hours after Barty’s compatriot Luke Saville won the boys’ title against Britain’s Liam Broady, the 15-year-old became only the second Australian girl to win the junior Wimbledon singles, and the first for 31 years.
Queensland-based Barty battled back from a break down in the both sets to emulate Debbie Freeman’s triumph in 1980.
Khromacheva, 16, made a fast start as the third seed broke in the third game.
But 12th seed Barty broke back to level at 4-4 and then converted her second set point with a stinging forehand.
Barty, the first Australian to play in the girls’ final since Kirrily Sharpe in 1990, broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set, only for Khromacheva to hit back with two breaks of her own.
With Khromacheva serving for the set, Barty was able to break back and set up a tie-break, which she took in emphatic fashion to clinch the title.