Poland’s Iga Swiatek showcased her resilience in a thrilling Australian Open encounter, overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the third set to secure a hard-fought victory against American Danielle Collins. The 2020 French Open champion demonstrated her ability to adapt, clinching the match with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 triumph.
Reflecting on the close call, Swiatek admitted, “I was on the airport already.” She described feeling a shift in momentum and grappling with Collins’ accelerated pace, saying, “I had kind of no idea how to react to that for a couple of minutes, a couple of games.”
The intense battle lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes, marking the second-longest tour-level match in Swiatek’s career and her lengthiest at the Grand Slam level, according to Tennis Abstract. Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up, faced a setback as her ranking dipped outside the top 60 for the first time in six years. Swiatek’s triumph underscores her tenacity on the court as she advances to the third round of the tournament.