By Casey O'Connor
What can I say – it has been some week for sport overs.
Seriously, anyone who did not shed a tear when Ash Barty received the Australian Open trophy from Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the presence of so many of our greatest athletes, you best book an appointment to see if your heart is still beating.
Barty is everything we love in a winner.
It may have come with heart palpitations, but she showed us with this win that she is a true champion of the sport of tennis.
Prior to the final almost every commentator lauded her slice back hand as “the best.”
I was surprised then to hear the great one (no, not the crazy half of the Special Ks), the real champion and gentleman of the game, Rod Laver, commenting pre-game that Barty has an amazing forehand, and it could win her the game.
The great one spoke, and Barty delivered – her forehand, her weapon in the final. Never doubt a true champion.
Barty, meanwhile, sprinkled magic dust on us all and made us love her even more as she acknowledged her mates and cracked a beer after her win.
A real Cathy Freeman or Keiran Perkins moment in Australian sport.
The Special Ks overcame the M & Ms to win the doubles title. Ho-hum. Well done, you have to say.
The pair won a junior Wimbledon doubles title – showing so much promise back then. No one could have mapped their futures in their wildest dreams.
One facing a future riddled with injury and the other – a wasted talent – words truly fail me.
I wonder in years to come if Kyrgios will ever regret or realise what an ass he made of himself during their press conference. I think not.
If anyone wants to see how you overcome adversity when the odds are stacked against you, watch the replay of Rafa’s win.
You only need five-and-a-half hours to spare. The first two sets painful, the last three riveting, and if you lasted until midnight there was no going to bed.
I am sure Rafa was the beneficiary of some of that magic fairy dust Ash left around centre court. What a champion – in every respect.
While everyone waxed lyrically about the magic 21 slams, he was more pleased to win Aussie Open number two.
We are privileged to have watched greatness on the court in the past few days, and I am sorry Nick, for me at least, you didn’t make the cut.
Casey
