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Match details
Fixture: (7) Iga Swiatek vs (27) Danielle Collins.
Date: 27 January 2022.
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Round: Semifinals.
Venue: Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $75,000,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.
Iga Swiatek vs Danielle Collins preview
Seventh seed Iga Swiatek will aim to reach her second Grand Slam final when she squares off against 27th seed Danielle Collins at the Australian Open on Thursday.
In many ways, this edition of the Australian Open has been a test of the 20-year-old Pole's mental fortitude. Swiatek rampaged through the draw at the 2020 French Open, swatting aside opponents with consummate ease, on her way to the title.
But she has been brutally tested at Melbourne Park. What should be heartening for the youngster is that she has come out with flying colors every time she has been challenged.
After cruising through her first three rounds, the World No. 9 faced a red-hot giant-killer in the form of Sorana Cirstea. The Romanian even took the first set in their fourth-round showdown but Swiatek raised her level to eke out a three-set win.
The seventh seed faced an even sterner challenge in the quarterfinals. She trailed Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi by a set and a break on a day where her serve was simply not good enough. The Pole leaked 12 double faults, conceded five breaks of serve and committed 50 unforced errors to just 31 winners.
But Swiatek was not demoralized and willed herself on to for a a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 win, which sealed her spot in the Australian Open semifinals.
The scrambling win should prepare her mentally for what could be yet another stern test against Danielle Collins.
Collins, meanwhile, has been on a superb run since the second half of last year. She has compiled a stunning 31-7 win-loss record since July that saw her win back-to-back titles at Palermo and San Jose.
The American has consistently been making deep runs in most of the tournaments she has competed in. The 2022 Australian Open has been no exception.
The World No. 30 is now back in the semifinals of the Melbourne Slam for the second time in her career, having first reached this stage in 2019. She was a surprise semifinalist three years ago but has played some assured tennis this year to announce herself as a major contender for the title.
Collins has beaten some quality opponents in Ana Konjuh, Clara Tauson, 19th seed Elise Mertens and French veteran Alize Cornet in her last four rounds. The breezy 7-5, 6-1 win over Cornet in the quarterfinals, where she made 28 winners to 29 unforced errors, should give her confidence moving forward.
Iga Swiatek vs Danielle Collins head-to-head
Iga Swiatek leads the head-to-head against Danielle Collins 1-0. Their only previous clash was at the Adelaide International last year, where the American retired, trailing 2-6, 0-3.
Iga Swiatek vs Danielle Collins prediction
The first face-off between Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins in January last year came under remarkably different circumstances. Collins retired with a lower back injury in that match, robbing the Pole of a chance to prepare herself for what the American could bring in their upcoming clash.
Collins underwent surgery for endometriosis in April and has been a different player since her comeback.
She has self-admittedly improved her fitness and stamina, along with her serve and power. Most importantly, her focus on the big points, too, has been better. That was evident in the two three-setters Collins played against Tauson and Mertens in the third and fourth rounds.
All of this will come in handy against a player of Swiatek's caliber. The Pole will be coming into the semifinal match on the back of a marathon win against Kanepi. The 181-minute contest, the second-longest women's singles match at this year's Australian Open, would have taken a lot of energy out of the Pole. It remains to be seen how she recovers from the gruelling contest within a day.
If the match goes the distance, the advantage will lie with the American.
Swiatek's serve and groundstrokes totally let her down against Kanepi but she made amends towards the end by finding depth in her shots. However, Collins might not give her a second chance if she commits the same mistakes at the start of the match.
One of the hardest hitters on the tour, Collins will go for broke on almost every shot. If her serve holds up as has been the case this fortnight, she could run away with the match against a potentially tired Swiatek.
Prediction: Danielle Collins to win in three sets.
