Tennis
Barty and Dellacqua smash way into Aus Open doubles final
Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrate after winning their doubles semi-final match against Varvara Lepchenko of the United States and Saisai Zheng of China during day ten of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. Scott Barbour / Getty Images
ASHLEIGH Barty and Casey Dellacqua have become the first all-Australian duo through to the Australian Open women's doubles final since 1977.
The unseeded pair made quick work of American Varvara Lepchenko and China's Zheng Saisai to win their semi-final 6-2 6-4 in the early hours of Thursday.
It booked them a place in Friday's final against top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
Errani and Vinci won the French Open and US Open together last year and were the runners-up in last year's Australian Open.
Barty and Dellacqua became the first all-Australian pairing to reach the final since Evonne Goolagong and Helen Gourlay in December 1977, although that final was washed out by rain.
