Melbourne: French Open winner Iga Swiatek rallied from a set and a break down in brutal heat to overpower Estonian Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 on Wednesday 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.
Swiatek will meet Danielle Collins, who defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-1 earlier on Wednesday, for a place in the final.
Collins ended Cornet's dream run. After breaking Cornet to take the first set, the American 27th seed ramped up the aggression to take the next five games at Rod Laver Arena.
Cornet, playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 63rd main draw appearance at a major, finally held serve to make Collins serve out the match.
Collins showed no nerves as she hammered a forehand down the line to earn two match points, then sealed it when Cornet thudded a forehand into the net.
"It feels incredible," Collins, who made the 2019 semifinals, said in her on-court interview.
"Especially after some of the health challenges I've had.
"To be able to compete with these women, it's such an honour."
