By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Facing a 1-4 third-set deficit to 2022 AO finalist Danielle Collins, Iga Swiatek soared through five straight games for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 AO second-round win.
Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty
Staring down a 1-4 third-set deficit to 2022 AO finalist Danielle Collins, Iga Swiatek was feeling deeply displaced on Rod Laver Arena.
The top seed was hovering behind the baseline while her head was in the clouds.
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Coming to the cause, Swiatek soared through five straight games landing in the Australian Open third round with a wild 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 comeback conquest of Collins.
This tight test featured momentum shifts, a 25-minute rain suspension of play, a combined 13 breaks of serve and crackling winners from both women.
It was a topsy-turvy flight for Swiatek, who won five of the last six games to snatch the second set, lost five straight games dropping the second set then streaked through the final five games for a three-hour, 14-minute victory.
On her third match point, Swiatek sped up to a Collins dropper, spun a backhand winner down the line and tossed her Tecnifibre racquet aside in elation.
Raising her 2024 record to 7-0, Swiatek said she turned it around trading flight for fight.
“Honestly, I was at the airport already,” Swiatek told Andrea Petkovic of her feeling down 1-4. “I wanted to fight until the end. I knew she played just perfectly, but it would be hard for anyone to keep that level.
“So I wanted to be ready when more mistakes would come from the other side. And I did that at the end and I’m really proud of myself because it wasn’t easy.”
This match was a rematch of the 2022 Australian Open semifinals that saw Collins steamroll Swiatek 6-4, 6-1 to reach her maiden semifinal. Thundering backhand winners down the line in that match, Collins frequently hit behind the explosive Pole.
Today, Collins came out belting big backhands crosscourt, was hitting her forehand 7 to 10 miles faster than the top seed at times in the opening set and put herself in position to topple the world No. 1 holding that 4-1 final set lead.
Two key developments sparked Swiatek’s comeback. She expanded the court and wisely attacked Collins’ forehand wing down the stretch, the American tightened a bit, lost some acceleration on that wing ending two of the last five games slapping forehands into net.
"I lost 6-4 in the third to one of the best players in the world, and she played some great tennis," a disconsolate Collins said. "Left it all on the court."
After a painful loss, Collins dropped a bombshell: This was her final AO appearance as she plans to close the curtain on her career at some point this season.
"At this point, you know, I'm kind of at the end of my career and [losses] don't sting quite as much, to be honest," Collins said. "Yeah, this is going to be my last season, actually, competing.
"I don't really know exactly when, but this will be my last season and I'm really looking forward to that."
The first week challenges continued as Swiatek advanced to a third-round encounter vs. Linda Noskova.
Earlier, the 50th-ranked Noskova defeated American wild card McCartney Kessler 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
A second-round test between Tecnifibre players saw Collins win the toss, elect to serve and save a break point in the opening game.
The top-seeded Swiatek withstood a pair of break points in her first service game, catching a break when Collins netted a mid-court forehand, to level.
The 2022 finalist drew first-break blood. Exploiting break-point courtesy of Swiatek’s first double fault, Collins belted a backhand return off the tape that plopped over. Swiatek got to but Collins blocked a backhand volley breaking for 3-1.
Undaunted, Swiatek roared right back breaking back at love. Stepping in and hitting her forehand with more vigor, Swiatek breezed through eight of nine points leveling after six games.
Thirty-two minutes into the match, Collins was serving at 15-all when a spitting rain escalated into full-fledged downpour suspending play.
After about a 25-minute delay followed by brief warm-up, play resumed. Collins held firm, edging ahead 4-3 with a loud “come on!” at the one-hour mark.
Accelerating through her shots with more conviction, Swiatek began striking off the front foot more frequently.
Seventy-minutes into the match, Swiatek’s speed around the court and swarming offense provoked the break. Collins was up 40-15, but missed a few first serves and was forced to defend off the back foot.
Swooping forward, Swiatek banged a backhand drive volley breaking for 5-4.
Ultimately, Swiatek was sharper as she came back from 15-30 down to serve out the 78-minute opener. Only six total points separated the pair in the first set, but Swiatek surged through five of the final six games to build a one-set lead.
Swinging freely, Swiatek was stinging the ball, breaking again at 15 to start the second set.
Blistering a backhand return crosscourt, Collins broke back to snap a four-game slide and even the second set. Collins cracked her first ace of the day out wide wiping away a break point as she recovered holding for 2-1.
Dialing in her dynamite backhand, Collins torched a two-hander crosscourt breaking for 3-1 then whipped a bold backhand drive volley winner that helped her seal her fourth straight game.
An oppressive Collins was overwhelming Swiatek, who could not keep the ball off the big-hitting American’s backhand wing. Collins tore through 10 of 11 points shredding the love break for 5-1.
“Keep the heat turned up,” coach Jared Jacobs implored Collins, who earned four set points, but betrayed her own cause with four double faults trying to serve it out.
Hanging tough through a 10-minute game, Swiatek finally broke back on Collins’ fourth double fault.
The four-time Grand Slam champion fended off a fifth set point in the following game. Swiatek swept a series of forehands down the line working through a four-deuce hold that spanned more than eight minutes closing the gap to 3-5.
Credit Collins for setting all the stress aside and stamping a love hold to force a final set after two hours, 13 minutes.
The former finalist broke three times in the 55-minute second set before both women left the court for clothing changes. Swiatek returned sporting a black band beneath her left knee.
“I’ve been struggling with my knee since [the WTA Finals in] Cancun,” Swiatek said. “The intensity was so high I started wearing it in the third set…but you don’t have to be worried it’s all good.”
Reading the Swiatek serve on the ad side as clearly as the Kia sponsor signage on the wall, Collins cranked a couple of clean backhand return winners rocking the Pole with a powerful break for 2-1.
Taking a page from the Andy Murray playbook, Collins screamed at her box “Get Up!” as she worked through a tough hold to back up the break. When Swiatek slapped a forehand into net, Collins celebrated her 3-1 lead raising a clenched fix to her box with the entire box leaping to their feet in support.
Though Swiatek is the superior mover, Collins nullified that court coverage edge by gripping and ripping returns. Fighting off a body serve, Collins caught a break when her forehand crashed the tape and dribbled over for break point. Collins carved out her sixth break for a 4-1 double-break lead after two hours, 50 minutes.
At that point, Swiatek looked down and out.
In reality, she was far from done.
Collins slowed her own roll double-faulting back a break in the sixth game.
Hanging by a very thin thread down love-40, the world No. 1 confronted her moment of truth with calm clarity—and a steady stream of forehands. Swiatek swept aside all three break points by landing first serves to the American’s forehand. That spirited stand helped Swiatek creep closer to 3-4.
Polish fans were chanting “Iga! Iga!” as Swiatek changed sides and seemed to be favoring her left knee a bit. Still, Swiatek popped a pair of winners then drained a flat forehand into net from Collins to break back and even after eight games.
From 1-4 down, Swiatek was targeting the American’s forehand wing persistently and elicited another netted forehand for her fourth consecutive game and a 5-4 lead.
Earning two match points in the ensuing game, Swiatek put a couple of smashes right back at Collins. The top seed bumped a short volley into net as Collins fought off both match points.
A deep Swiatek return forced Collins to jerk a wild backhand wide to face a third match point.
A crackling 15-shot rally saw Collins carve a daring drop shot, Swiatek sped up and spun a backhand winner down the line then flung her Tecnifibre aside punctuating a three hour, 14-minute comeback with pure elation and great relief.
It was Swiatek’s 67th win in her last 68 matches against opponent’s ranked outside of the Top 50.