Inspired Swiatek roars back from 4-1 down in decider to avenge Collins defeat

Iga Swiatek roared back from 4-1 down in the deciding set to exact revenge on Danielle Collins at the Australian Open.

Two years ago, the Pole looked on course for a showdown with home hero Ashleigh Barty in Melbourne when Collins sprung a surprise in their semi-final – and the American hit another inspired patch in their second-round clash on Thursday.

But this time, Swiatek found a response as Collins tightened up, winning five straight games to come through a thrilling contest 6-4 3-6 6-4.

Asked how she pulled it off, Swiatek said: “Oh my god, I don’t even know. Honestly, I was in the airport already!

“I wanted to fight until the end. I know she just played perfectly, but it would be hard for anybody to keep that level so I wanted to be ready when more mistakes were going to come. I’m really proud of myself because it wasn’t easy.”

Their last match in Cincinnati saw Swiatek lose just one game in a devastating win, but she was pushed to the brink by the former finalist under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena as it rained outside.

Collins claimed the first break to move 3-1 ahead in the opening set, only to gift it straight back to live in a teaser trailer for her Jekyll and Hyde performance to follow.

Swiatek was starting to read the Collins serve and the Pole broke again for 5-4, before serving out the set at the first opportunity.

But Collins, who has slipped to 62nd in the WTA rankings after a career high of No. 7, turned up the heat. After losing her serve at the start of the second set, she started to hit with freedom – and blistering power – as she reeled off five games on the trot.

It took her six set points – and three games – to get over the line in the set, but it was clear she had the world No. 1 on the ropes.

‘I was at the airport already!’ – Swiatek on dramatic comeback win over Collins

The American continued her bombardment at the start of the deciding set, gobbling up Swiatek’s second serve and peppering the baseline, as she swiftly claimed a double break in the decider. And that, bizarrely, was when it all started to go wrong for her.

Swiatek immediately claimed one of the breaks back to love as Collins’ loose groundstrokes became a little more rigid, before the Pole superbly wriggled out of trouble from 0-40 in the next with five points on the spin.

Now Swiatek was in the ascendancy and she cracked her opponent’s serve again to restore order in the decider as Collins started to miss with alarming regularity. She then held and, suddenly, from 1-4 down, she was one game away from a spot in the third round at 5-4.

The best and worst of Collins came out in the next, and final, game. She saved two match points from 15-40 with some ferocious hitting, then duly missed the court to hand her opponent a third opportunity. This time, Swiatek did not blink as she chased down a drop shot to fire down the winner and bring the curtain down on the most memorable of contests.

After the obligatory handshakes, Swiatek slumped to her chair and concealed herself underneath a towel as she processed her latest sensational win.

“I felt like I had the momentum and then she suddenly started playing two times faster and I had no idea how to react to that for a couple of minutes, a couple of games,” said Swiatek.

“But I came back and I just thought ‘the only thing I can focus on is myself’ and I stopped caring how she was playing.”

After facing two big-hitting Americans in Collins and 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in the most brutal of draws, Swiatek meets unseeded Czech Linda Noskova in the third round.

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