The world No 1 goes into the final with a 10-match winning run in her corner. She has not dropped a set during the course of this year's Australian Open and has lost just 21 games in six matches.

"It's unreal. It's just incredible," Barty said about reaching her first Australian Open final following a 6-1 6-3 dismissal of American Madison Keys.

"I love this tournament and I love coming out here and playing in Australia. As an Aussie, we're exceptionally spoiled that we get to be a Grand Slam nation and that we get to play at home, in our own backyard.

"I'm just happy that I get to play my best tennis here. I enjoy it and I've done well before and now we have a chance to play for a title. It's unreal!"

Barty's references to 'we' weren't a mistake, it's deliberate and a mark of how important her team are to her. She's an individual that does things her way on the Tour and always speaks about the team's success or work.

The world No 1 has played in eight Australian Open tournaments before this one and had her best run back in 2020 when she reached the semi-final.

Having won both the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, the latter stages of a Grand Slam are familiar to her, as is being the one to beat, with her status as the world's leading female player.

"I'll come out here on Saturday, enjoy it with a massive smile on my face and see what happens," Barty added to an adoring crowd after her semi-final on Rod Laver Arena.

Despite Barty aiming to end an 44-year drought for a home player to win the Australian Open and having a nation's expectations on her shoulders, you do believe that she will go out and perform with a smile on her face.

Prior to last year's Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, which she went on and won 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3, Barty had shared similar sentiments.

"It's about coming out here and having fun because playing in front of a crowd like this, on a beautiful court, there's absolutely nothing better," she said at the time.

Barty's opponent on Saturday is first-time finalist Danielle Collins, who used her semi-final to highlight what a threat she will be to the Australian's bid for history.

The American dispatched Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-1 and like Barty, has a significant winning streak going into this final. She has won her last 11 completed matches and is guaranteed to enter the world's top 10 next week.

"She's an exceptional ball striker," Barty said of Collins. "She's someone who stands on the baseline and can hit all spots of the court from any position. I think the challenge is going to be trying to get her off-balance."

By her own admission, Collins used her 'A Game' against Swiatek and as it was working, didn't need to amend her tactics during their encounter. She'll have taken note of Keys' assessment after being defeated by Barty on Thursday.

"You have a game plan in your head, but she's just executing everything so well," Keys said about the world No 1. "She's serving incredibly well, so you don't get any free points on that.

"The tough thing is that she kind of makes you over-think a little bit, and you start pressing a little bit. You feel like you have to do too much at times. She puts that kind of pressure on you."

Collins believes in her own game though and in the final, she'll be eager to replicate the high percentage of first-serve points she achieved against Swaitek, and how positive her winner to unforced error count was.

In her first Grand Slam, the American must try and play freely, but has the challenge of knowing that 99 per cent of the crowd will be rooting for her opponent on Saturday inside the Rod Laver Arena.

Collins will try and take a leaf out of Daniil Medvedev's book, when he prevented Novak Djokovic from winning the calendar Grand Slam and a 21st major title. Medvedev ignored what was at stake for his opponent; he simply played the match at hand and not the occasion.

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Barty must also aim to follow the blueprint of focusing on the process and not the outcome. With history calling, the Australian must execute and illustrate the nerves of steel she used to secure her last Grand Slam title in London.

This fortnight the world No 1 has dismissed every individual that has stood in her way. Collins represents a significant challenge with her power and presence, but Barty has faced that style before this tournament and prevailed.

With Barty bidding to win her home Grand Slam for the first time and Collins aiming to secure a maiden Grand Slam title, Saturday's encounter will be as much about the mind, as the tennis.

The campaigns of both in Melbourne have illustrated that they are in form and firing for this final. Now, the challenge is to translate that into the white cauldron of a Grand Slam final, when everything is on the line and that's easier said than done.

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