Unheralded Danielle Collins battled from a set behind yesterday to down Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and take her dream debut at the Australian Open into the semi-finals.
The unseeded American beat world No. 44 Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a see-sawing match to set up a final-four clash with either Czech eighth seed Karolina Pliskova or 15th-seeded Australian Ash Barty.
The little-known 25-year-old, who has mostly played on the US college circuit, grabbed the tennis world’s attention with a 6-0, 6-2 drubbing of second seed Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.
Photo: Reuters
She was unable to repeat that sizzling form against Pavlyuchenkova, but finished strongly in a feisty performance, as her more experienced opponent wilted under pressure.
World No. 35 Collins, who has ousted three seeds on her way to the final four, said that she was relishing playing on the big stage.
“Yeah, it’s my first time to play on Rod Laver Arena,” she said. “I didn’t even practice on here. It was quite the experience. I really love it.”
It was the fifth time that Pavlyuchenkova, 27, has made a Grand Slam quarter-finals and the Russian has failed to advance every time.
Collins had never won a match at a Grand Slam in five previous attempts, but is on a Cinderella run at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal kept the flag flying for the old guard at the Australian Open yesterday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over American Frances Tiafoe for a place in the semi-final, where he would meet another next-generation player in Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Nadal’s match against Tiafoe, who turned 21 on Sunday, was billed as an intriguing clash of generations after the loss of Roger Federer to Tsitsipas earlier, but the second seed was ruthless as he reached the last four without dropping a set.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion broke Tiafoe’s first service game in each set and with a second break in the third set wrapped up the victory in 1 hour, 47 minutes.
“I had some trouble at this event all my career so I am very happy with the way I played tonight,” said Nadal, who retired from last year’s quarter-final injured against Marin Cilic. “That’s why I get up in the morning and go to the gym and work hard.”
For a place in the final, Nadal would meet 20-year-old Greek sensation Tsitsipas, who earlier yesterday became his country’s first player to reach the last four at a major with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) triumph over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
TAIWAN’S CHAN SISTERS
Staff writer, with CNA
Sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan yesterday saw their bid for a semi-final berth at the Australian Open dashed by unseeded Americans.
Seeded seventh in women’s doubles, the Chans lost the quarter-final to Alison Riske and Jennifer Brady 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in 83 minutes, unable to take advantage of key break points or a second-set advantage.
Falling behind 4-2 in the first set, the Chans had three break points in the seventh game to pull the set back on serve, but could not capitalize.
In the second set, they jumped to a 4-1 lead, but a break by the Americans and another missed break opportunity by the Chans brought the set back to 4-4, and a poor tiebreaker ended the Taiwanese duo’s hopes at the Open.
Younger sister Chan Hao-ching returned to action in the second round of the mixed doubles with Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, but fell to a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Mate Pavic of Croatia.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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