Swiatek outlasts Kanepi to set up semis date with Collins
MELBOURNE:French Open winner Iga Swiatek managed to temper
her frustrations and rally from a set and a break down in brutal heat to
overpower Estonian Kaia Kanepi 4-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday to reach her first
Australian Open semi-final.
Poland's Swiatek will next meet 27th-seeded American Danielle Collins, who earlier defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 7-5 6-1, for a place in Saturday's final at Melbourne Park.
In their first career meeting, Swiatek wasted breakpoint
chances in each of Kanepi's first three service games and it was the Estonian
who converted her first chance in the seventh game to nose ahead.
"In the first set I had so many breakpoints, I felt
like I missed my chances because she broke me on her first breakpoint,"
Swiatek said on court.
"I was pretty annoyed. That was a mistake because I
should have been focused on the future, on the next ball."
Kanepi, 36, appeared set to progress beyond the last eight
at a Grand Slam for the first time when she broke early in the second, with a
frustrated Swiatek slapping herself and slamming her racquet on court.
The Estonian did most of the damage with her powerful
double-handed backhand, leaving Swiatek rooted to the spot and watching
helplessly as the winners screamed past.
But the 2020 Roland Garros champion, 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.
"I'm really glad that I have my voice because I was
shouting so loud," Swiatek said.
"This match was crazy and without the energy in the
stadium, I think it would've been really hard to win it."
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