Danielle Collins who revealed post match she is retiring from tennis at the end of the 2024 season rolled it back to 2022 as she was on the verge of dumping out World No.1,
Iga Swiatek again at the
Australian Open.
Collins was two breaks up in the deciding set, before the Pole came back with five games in a row to claim the match and Swiatek admitted she was already planning on going home and was resigned to her fate albeit with that fight still very much there as she was ready to punish any mistakes from the American's racquet.
Collins had broke early in the third to move 2-1 up and then made it a double break and continued to pile the pressure on at 4-3 up with three break points. But Collins started then to make errors and it was soon all square as a poor service game from Collins was punished and she sealed the match with her third opportunity in drama personified on Rod Laver Arena.
"I was in the airport already!," said Swiatek. "I wanted to fight until the end. I know she played perfectly but it would be hard for anyone to keep that level, so I wanted to be ready when mistakes were going to come from the other side and punish them.
"I did in the end and I'm really proud of myself because it wasn't easy. I felt like I had momentum going, then she suddenly started playing two times faster.
"I had no idea how to react to that for a couple of games but I came back and thought 'the only thing I can focus on is myself'. I stopped caring about how she played and focused on myself."