VIDEO In the women’s part of the Australian Open, the semifinal quartet is complete – Športky.sk

MELBOURNE – American tennis player Danielle Collins made it to the singles semifinals of the Australian Open grand slam for the second time in her career. In the quarterfinals, she dealt with the French rival Alizé Cornet in two sets 7: 5 and 6: 1. In the fight for the finals, he will compete against the seventh seed Ige Swiatek from Poland, who eliminated Estonian Kaia Kanepi in three sets 4: 6, 7: 6 (2) and 6: 3.

Collins, the 27th player, had the duel well started and after a break in the fourth game, she took the lead 3: 1, which she then increased to her service. Cornetová still fought after a clean game, reduced to 3: 5, got caught, immediately took the opponent’s serve and with three games in a row she managed to equalize to 5: 5.

The decisive moment of the match came in the long twelfth game, when Collins won three sets, she converted the last one and after the next break she won 7: 5. Since then, she has dominated the court and won the second set 6: 1. The 28-year-old American has equaled her grand slam maximum. She reached the singles semifinal in 2019 in Melbourne.

“It’s an incredible feeling, especially after the health problems I’ve had,” Collins, who underwent surgery for endometriosis last year, said in a post-match interview: “It’s great that I was able to get back to that level and I can fight like that.” For Cornet, it was the premier quarter-final of her career in the Big Four tournaments and should return to the Top 50 in the world rankings.

Swiateková also celebrates the process

The final quarter-finals were more dramatic and the paper outsider Kanepi entered it better. In the seventh game, she beat her opponent and took the lead 4: 3 and bounced 5: 3 on her serve. This was followed by two “marathon” gems, in which the Estonian player had many chances to bring the set to a winning end, and finally she succeeded when she turned the ninth set in the order directly from the serve – 6: 4.

Thirty-six-year-old Estonian, who ranks 115th in the WTA rankings, took a chance and struck a 16-year-younger opponent right at the start of the second set. However, she answered her with the same coin and took her hand in the fourth game. However, she did not keep her promising lead, she made too many unforced mistakes. Kanepi leveled, and the set reached the secretary. Swiatek managed it better and won it 7: 2. In the deciding set, the Polish player led 5: 2, her opponent hit her again, but in the next game Swiateková already decided.

The winner Roland Garros from 2020 made it to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time. “I’m really glad I still have a voice because I was screaming so hard. It was a crazy match and without energy from the stands it would be very difficult to win,” Eurosport quoted her after a match lasting three hours and one minute.

Women’s Singles Quarterfinals:
Danielle Rose Collins (USA-27) – Alize Cornet (Fr.) 7: 5, 6: 1

Iga Swiatekova (POL-7) – Kaia Kanepiova (EST) 4: 6, 7: 6 (2), 6: 3

• The author: © List
• VIDEO: Eurosport
• Source: TASR