MELBOURNE: Lga Swiatek, the world number one, staged a remarkable comeback from being two breaks down in the final set on Thursday, securing a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Danielle Collins and advancing to the third round of the Australian Open for the fifth consecutive year.
Despite being ranked 62nd globally, Collins, with a notable history at Melbourne Park, previously defeated Swiatek in the semi-finals two years ago, only to lose to Ash Barty in the title match. Swiatek, a four-times Grand Slam champion, typically dominates against lower-ranked opponents, but overcoming Collins in a tense and scrappy three-hour match on Rod Laver Arena required her to tap into her reserves.
The 30-year-old Collins faced challenges in her serve at critical moments, allowing Swiatek to showcase her best tennis in the late stages of the decisive set. The hard-fought victory sets up a third-round encounter for Swiatek against Czech player Linda Noskova.
“Oh my god, honestly, I was already at the airport,” said Swiatek, whose run to the 2022 semis was her best showing at Melbourne Park. “I wanted to fight until the end, she played perfectly but it would be hard for anybody to keep that level so I wanted to be ready when mistakes were going to come from the other side.
“I wanted to push then and I did that at the end and I’m really proud of myself because it wasn’t easy.”
Collins took an early lead by breaking for 3-1 in the initial set, but Swiatek swiftly countered with a love break, leveling the match at 3-3. A brief pause occurred due to a half-hour rain interruption, prompting the closure of the roof.
Upon the restart, Swiatek displayed an impressive performance, securing four consecutive games to claim the first set and take a break lead in the seco.
