'It's unreal': Ash Barty chasing a place in Australian Open tennis history

She was a wide-eyed kid with a dimply smile arriving in Melbourne for a camp during the second week of an Australian Open. Ask that little girl how it would feel to one day take centre court by storm and the answer you get would probably be something along the lines of "unreal".

A few years down the line she returned as a junior. That "lit a fire". Barty started to wonder what she was capable of. The kid started to dream.

Today, American world No. 30 Danielle Collins is all that stands between Barty and her quest to become the first local Australian Open singles champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978.

The 25-year-old Australian knows where she stands in search of history. Barty is the first home hopeful to reach the Australian Open women's singles final since Wendy Turnbull achieved the feat 42 years ago.

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The road to get here has largely been kept in the shade. Barty's tournament has almost felt like something of a sideshow with Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and the enigmatic doubles pairing of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis taking centre stage, even if a bigger name is on centre court.

But Barty remains the player in which we have a vested interest. She approaches the game with grace and humility, without a shred of arrogance.

The world No.1 and dual grand slam champion crushed Madison Keys 6-1 6-3 on Thursday night to bury the demons of her shattering 2020 semi-final defeat to American Sofia Kenin, delivering another serving masterclass on Rod Laver Arena to see off Keys in just 62 minutes.

Now she finds herself on the cusp of history. First there was the 2019 French Open, and the 2021 iteration of Wimbledon. To date her home slam has eluded her, but perhaps not for much longer.

"It's unreal. Honestly, it is just incredible," Barty said.

"To be in the finals weekend of your home grand slam is what a lot of Aussie players dream of.

"I love this tournament, love coming out here and playing in Australia and, as an Aussie, we are exceptionally spoiled that we are a grand slam nation [and] we get to play in our backyard, and I am just happy that I get to play my best tennis here.

"I enjoy it, I've done well before and now we have a chance to play for a title. It's unreal. It's going to be an incredible experience come Saturday. I can't wait to go out there and enjoy it."

Beyond a slice backhand coming in so low it might as well be at your shoelaces on the baseline, perhaps Barty's finest quality on the court is where she resides - not at her own baseline, but inside her opponent's head.

"The tough thing is that I think she kind of makes you overthink a little bit. You start pressing a little bit," Keys said.

"You feel like you have to do too much at times. I was overthinking a little bit at the beginning, trying to do things that weren't really happening for me or weren't really actually an option just because she kind of puts that pressure on you.

"Once that happens and I feel like when she starts feeling like she can play downhill, then she just gets that confidence and momentum and it's really hard to get that back from her."

Barty is the attraction in a primetime slot but she will not close the show on Saturday. If this were a night of prize fighting, it would be Kyrgios and Kokkinakis having their names called for the main event.

It is somewhat fitting the Special Ks will be the late night act. For so long Australia has enjoyed the "Barty Party", but perhaps nobody could turn tennis into a party quite like these two.

Barty's place in the final is both a blessing and a burden. The weight of a nation rests on her shoulders and will only grow heavier with each passing hour. We will mourn if she falls and celebrate as one if she prevails.

But Kyrgios and Kokkinakis? Win or lose, we're here for the ride. A loss to Matt Ebden and Max Purcell in the Australian Open's first all-Australian final since 1980 would not be the trademark by which we remember their tournament.

Instead we would remember two mates who have bucked tradition in the style of rock stars. Theirs is a tale of turning raucous crowds into weapons and flipping the sport on its head.

The traditionalists mightn't like it, but Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will never pretend to be something they're not. They're entertainers. Who else would call on tennis crowds to "sink piss and come here" and to keep "ruffling feathers".

The thrilling act will step onto the court following Barty on Saturday night, and Kokkinakis wants Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley to do his best to ensure the stadium is at capacity.

"Craig might not be happy with this, but if that means dropping prices so we can fill the stands, whatever will get it packed," Kokkinakis said. "The more the better, the atmosphere would be unreal."

But maybe not quite as unreal as a wide-eyed kid making a dream come true.