The first time wasn't quite the charm for Danielle Collins.
Against all odds (Collins was 50-1 entering the tournament), the 27th-seeded American battled world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty on Saturday at the Australian Open in her first Grand Slam finals appearance, losing 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
After dropping the first set, Collins had her chance to force a third set, building a 5-1 lead, but Barty rallied and eventually won the set — and the match — in a tiebreaker.
Barty became the first Australian woman in 44 years to win the Australian Open title, but — after rolling through her first six matches in the tournament — knew she was in a battle against Collins.