Move FM Australian News

Sydney – Australia hailed “bloody legend” Ashleigh Barty on Sunday after she ended the country’s 46-year wait for a French Open singles title with a crushing victory in Paris.

Some of the nation’s top sportspeople took to social media to congratulate the 23-year-old in the wake of her 6-1, 6-3 whipping of Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova which propelled her to number two in the world.

tweeted Australian superstar footballer Sam Kerr as the Matildas prepared to open their World Cup campaign in France later on Sunday.

Wallabies veteran Adam Ashley-Cooper, who has been tweeting his support for Barty throughout the tournament, also offered congratulations.

he said.

The new queen of clay joined Australian legends Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Lesley Bowrey on the Roland Garros honour roll.

Her achievement also made her the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam since Samantha Stosur at the US Open in 2011.

Stosur, a close friend of Barty’s, took to Instagram to hail her Fed Cup team-mate.

she said.

Barty, who famously took a break from tennis late in 2014 to play professional cricket, quickly took advantage of Vondrousova’s nerves to take a stranglehold on the final and told the crowd afterwards: “I played the perfect match today.”

Australian coach Darren Cahill, who helped steer former world number one Simona Halep to the French Open title last year, said the whole nation was proud of what Barty had achieved, and how she went about it.

he said.

Barty even won support from Hollywood with Australian star Russell Crowe saying:

The nation’s media also jumped on the bandwagon with the Sydney Morning Herald saying it was “a deserved reward for an immensely likable player”, adding that she now had “the world at her feet”.

With Australia more used to the antics of Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph noted: “You can be nice and still play killer tennis.”