Danielle Collins has joined fellow American Madison Keys in the Australian Open semifinals.
Collins swung the match in her favour with a key service break in the final game of the opening set on her way to a 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Alize Cornet on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old American equalled her best previous performance at Melbourne Park — she also advanced to the semifinals in 2019, her previous best Grand Slam tournament result.
Collins underwent surgery last year to treat endometriosis, with the condition leaving her in severe pain during tournaments in 2021.
“It feels incredible, especially after some of the health challenges I’ve had,” Collins said in her post-match interview. “To be able to get back to this level and be able to compete like the way I have been and being able to be as physical as I haven’t been so rewarding.”
Keys will play top-ranked Ash Barty in the other semifinal on Thursday.
The loss ended a strong run by Cornet, who played her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 63rd main-draw appearance. The French player had an upset victory over two-time major winner Simona Halep in the fourth round. The WTA says that Cornet should return to the top 50 in the rankings due to her performance here.
Swiatek defeats veteran Kanepi, reaches semis
Collins will play former French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who rallied from a set and a break down in brutal heat to overpower Estonian Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 and reach her first Australian Open semifinal.
Kanepi, 36, appeared set to progress beyond the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time when she won the opening set and broke early in the second, with a frustrated Swiatek slapping herself and slamming her racquet on court.
But the Pole, who committed 12 double faults in the match, regained her composure and raised her level in a second set tiebreaker to level the contest at 1-1.
Swiatek suffered two more breaks in the decider but managed to break 115th-ranked Kanepi four times, sealing the three-hour contest on her second match point when the Estonian sent a backhand wide for her 62nd unforced error.
Later on Wednesday, second-seeded Daniil Medvedev was expecting to face one of the toughest challenges to his bid to collect a second consecutive Grand Slam singles title when he plays 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in a night match.
Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Jannik Sinner in the other men’s quarterfinal.
The winners will meet Friday in one men’s semifinal, while Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini have already booked their spot in the other, also on Friday.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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