MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 18, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins had met once before at the Australian Open, when the American defeated Swiatek in the semifinals in 2022. Since then, Swiatek won their last three encounters – all coming last season – and carried that momentum into their second-round clash inside Rod Laver Arena on a rainy Thursday afternoon in Melbourne.
Expect plenty of fireworks for this one 💥
Top seed @iga_swiatek takes on 2022 #AusOpen finalist Danielle Collins 🍿 pic.twitter.com/TPBH1zvq67
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
Coming in, both players beat a former Australian Open champion in the first round with Swiatek overcoming Sofia Kenin and Collins ousting Angelique Kerber. After splitting the first two sets, Collins raced to a double-break 4-1 lead. However, never count the four-time major winner out.
This is getting juicy 😋@iga_swiatek claws back from a double break down in the final set & evens the score with Collins at 4-4!#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/Qal1IV2t2k
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
The Polish star went to work against the 62nd-ranked Collins – having won 66 of her last 67 matches against players outside the Top 50 – and erased the double-break deficit in a stunning comeback.
Finally, ahead 5-4, Swiatek closed out the three-hour, nine-minute 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 thriller on her third match point with a brilliant down-the-line, backhand passing shot winner that capped a dramatic 16-shot rally. It was the 36th — and arguably the biggest — winner Swiatek produced on the afternoon. It was also her seventh break of Collins’ serve in 15 opportunities and third of the decisive set.
J A Z D A 🔥@iga_swiatek wins 5️⃣ straight games against Collins for an incredible 6-4 3-6 6-4 comeback!#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/NE3jnqk6eO
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
“I wanted to fight until the end,” Swiatek told Andrea Petkovic in her on-court interview. “I knew she played perfectly but it would be hard for anybody to keep that level, so I wanted to be ready for if the mistakes would come from the other side.
“It wasn’t easy. I felt like I had the momentum going and then she started playing suddenly two times faster and I had no idea how to react to that for a couple of games. I came back, and I thought the only thing I could focus on was myself.”
13 – Iga Swiatek has now claimed her 13th win from 14 against US opponents at Grand Slams. In the Open Era, only Margaret Court has as many wins in that opening span of women’s singles matches at Grand Slams. Emerge.#AusOpen | @AustralianOpen @iga_swiatek @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/ptwhj6s7Jq
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 18, 2024
Looking back, the Swiatek-Collins tussle resulted in a hard-fought match with just four points separating the two competitors. However, in the end, Swiatek walked off with her 18th consecutive victory — the second-longest streak in her career — and 17th career Melbourne triumph. She will be back on Saturday to oppose Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the third round.
Swiatek celebrated with a big grin and signed the camera lens “Thriller!” 😀, while Collins walked off the court for the last time in Melbourne.
“I lost 6-4 in the third to one of the best players in the world, and she played some great tennis,” Collins told reporters. “Left it all on the court.”
This is the final #AusOpen for Danielle Collins, who confirmed she will stop competing after this year.
We wish our 2022 finalist the very best ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sz9vBo4YZu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
Qualifier Timofeeva speechless after beating former AO champ Wozniacki
Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva scored the biggest win of her young career in her Grand Slam debut, when she beat 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, in two hours and 21 minutes to reach the third round.
The World No. 170 Timofeeva recovered nicely from a rough first set as well as coming back from early service
breaks in both the second and third sets to win. She finished with 40 winners to 37 unforced errors, converted six of 13 break points and outpointed Wozniacki 98-91.
“I’m really a bit speechless now,” Timofeeva, 20, said in her on-court interview. “It was an honor for me to play here against Caroline today. Honestly, I was going [into] the match without any expectations, just to show what I’m capable of and see how the match goes, and it was really great. I enjoyed every second of it.”
What a moment for Maria Timofeeva 👏👏
The qualifier topples Wozniacki 1-6 6-4 6-1. See you in the third round, Maria 👋#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/qZhdc8erMP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2024
While Timofeeva was playing in her first Grand Slam main draw, it was the 53rd for Wozniacki, whose 2018 run to the Melbourne crown remains her only major title, and second since coming out of retirement at last year’s US Open. Next, Timofeeva will oppose No. 10 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil in Friday’s third round.
Remembering Mike Dickson
Mike Dickson, 59, the dean of British tennis writers, passed away suddenly this week while covering the Australian Open for the Daily Mail of London. Tributes and condolences on social media were many.
One of Dickson’s contemporaries, retired New York Times tennis columnist Christopher Clarey, wrote: “Reeling from the news of Mike Dickson’s sudden passing during the Australian Open. Our #tennis writing community has taken some big blows in recent years. This is devastating. Mike was one of the savviest and best in our business. My heart goes out to all those he held dear.”
Farewell to Mike Dickson, a shoe-leather reporter https://t.co/y4lqL83AAd
— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) January 17, 2024
Our heart goes out to the Dickson family and to those who knew him best.
Mike Dickson obituary: Jonathan McEvoy pays an emotional tribute to his friend and colleague, Mail Sport’s legendary tennis correspondent who tragically died aged 59 covering the Australian Open https://t.co/5hA9aKPiCQ pic.twitter.com/HYBoWBeCtY
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) January 17, 2024
Around Melbourne Park
Sascha books his place in the third round, defeating qualifier Lukas Klein 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6[7]
He’ll face Alex Michelsen next.#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/TtjwLLqPGF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
Ruud rises in a second round epic 🔥
4️⃣ hours and 5️⃣ sets later, @CasperRuud98 prevails over Purcell 3-6 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3 6-7[7-10]. #AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/mDGdm8xY7X
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
19 years old and into her first third round match at a Grand Slam 👏
Linda Noskova defeats McCartney Kessler 6-3 1-6 6-4. pic.twitter.com/CesVZ9ug0j
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
Who isn’t like this after a long day at work?
21-year-old qualifier Flavio Cobolli secures his best Grand Slam result, defeating Pavel Kotov 7-5 6-3 5-7 6-2 to set up a third round date with Alex De Minaur!#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/5KCHtCCJJu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2024
Thursday’s Australian Open results
Friday’s Australian Open order of play
By the numbers
Russia’s Karen Khachanov, a semifinalist in 2023, has reached the third round (or better) in Melbourne for the last five years. With his win over 101st-ranked qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States on Wednesday, the No. 15 seed Khachanov has won all eight matches he has played against qualifiers at the Grand Slams in his career. He also owns a 16-match Tour-level winning streak against qualifiers.
Primed for another big run Down Under?
Last year’s semifinalist @karenkhachanov reaches the third round with a tough 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over Kovacevic.#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/88Vf4u4QnI
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2024
“Quotable …”
“There came a moment where things weren’t looking at my favor. There started to be a slight shift in the momentum, especially after that break when I was serving for the match. This really doesn’t happen very often. I haven’t had a lot of times in my career where I wasn’t able to close the match, especially when I was serving for it.
“For me the challenge there was to not break down. I feel like it would be easy to be the guy that becomes a victim of that. But I refused that to myself because I know deep inside that I’m way better than that, and I can handle situations, difficult situations, because of my past and the things that I went through.
“This might seem a mountain to a lot of people, but we’re back in equal play. I really executed my game plan tremendously and at the highest peak on the tiebreak, and I was able to keep it going on a very nice flow for me, especially when I got the early mini break in the tiebreaker. I really felt that inner power come out. It really showed in the next few points.”
– No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, during his post-match news conference after defeating Australian Jordan Thompson 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4) Wednesday night, on his mindset at the end of the three-hour, 36-minute second-round match.
Rising to the occasion 📈
2023 finalist @steftsitsipas survives the Jordan Thompson test to advance to the third round for the sixth consecutive year.@AustralianOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/FQC6eZyhPY
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 17, 2024