Former Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek will take on Danielle Collins in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after both won their last-eight encounters in the Melbourne heat on Wednesday.
For Collins, her 7-5 6-1 victory over Alize Cornet was particularly sweet, coming nine months after she had undergone surgery for endometriosis and a spell away from the game.
And for Swiatek, her hard-fought 4-6 7-6 6-3 win over Kaia Kanepi marked a first time past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam since winning the French Open title in 2020 as a teenager.
The result meant yet more Grand Slam heartache for her opponent, however, after losing a quarter-final for the seventh time in her career. At the age of 36, it raised questions over whether Kanepi would ever break her duck of making the last four of one of tennis’ majors.
Prior to her diagnosis, Collins had been continually playing through the pain barrier but admitted she was now playing pain free following surgery.
“It feels incredible, especially after some of the health challenges I’ve had,” she said after reaching her second Australian Open semi-final. “Once I was able to get the proper diagnosis and the surgery, I feel like it’s helped me so much, not just from a physical standpoint but a mental standpoint.
“When you’re dealing with that type of physical pain multiple weeks out of the month, you’re not putting yourself in a position to be able to perform consistently and to be at your best whether as an athlete or a person.”
Collins’ win was relatively straightforward after a tight opening set, sealing a string of five games in the second to deny Cornet in her first Grand Slam quarter-final at her 63rd attempt.
In contrast, Swiatek and Kanepi were far tougher to separate as both struggled with their serves and, at times, the enormity of the occasion.
Ash Barty will take on Madison Keys in the other semi-final, both of which take place on Thursday.
