"I can't do any more than I can try" - Barty on ending Australia's 44-year wait

STORY: Tennis Ashleigh Barty Australian Open - "I can't do any more than I can try" - Barty on ending Australia's 44-year wait

LENGTH: 01:20

FIRST RUN:

RESTRICTIONS: See script

TYPE: Eng/Nat sound

SOURCE: SNTV

STORY NUMBER: 5305435

DATELINE: 15th January 2022 - Melbourne, Australia

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SHOTLIST: Melbourne, Australia. 15th January 2022

1. 00:00 SOUNDBITE: (English), Ashleigh Barty:

(On ending Australia's 44-year title drought at the Australian Open in the women's singles)

"I can't do any more than I can try. That's all I can do. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I just have to hope that everyone understands that I'm giving it my best crack. It doesn't always work out exactly how you want to. But you go about it the right way, you do the right things and try and give yourself the best chance, that's all you can do. That goes for all the other Aussies as well, everyone else in the draw. They're trying to do that thing over and over and over, do the right things and give themselves the chance."

2. 00:30 SOUNDBITE: (English), Ashleigh Barty:

(On whether she has a tennis bucket list with respect to her career)

"Yeah, a strange one. I think there's probably a difference of the bucket list dreams and the bucket list goals. I think they're two different lists. For me, it was no secret that Wimbledon was the very top of that dreams list. I have plenty more goals that I set with my team, both the short and the long-term. Some more obscure than others, maybe not so result-dependent. I felt like over the last three, four, five years, Tyz and I have done an incredible job with our wider team of trying to find ways to tick off those goals, to keep enjoying our journey along the way. We've, yeah, enjoyed the ride. There are still a few more that remain with a little box that's empty next to it."

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 01:20

STORYLINE:

World number one Ashleigh Barty will once again shoulder the expectation of her nation's hopes for a home champion at the Australian Open, promising only she will give her "best crack" at ending the 44-year drought.

Having claimed her second major title at Wimbledon last year, Barty will be under huge pressure to deliver at the year's first Grand Slam, where no Australian has won since Chris O'Neil claimed the women's title in 1978 at Kooyong.

The 25-year-old reached the semifinal in 2020 and exited at the quarterfinal stage in 2019 and 2021.