Photograph: Getty Images
No. 27 seed Danielle Collins has claimed a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Frenchwoman Alize Cornet to advance to her second career Australian Open semi-final.
"I feel pretty good right now. Yeah, I had a great match today. Have had some great matches along the way at this tournament. Really happy about how I'm feeling physically and mentally. Yeah, hopefully, we can keep it going," Collins said in her post-match press conference.
In an impressive start to the match, the American sent a backhand winner past the unseeded Frenchwoman to claim a major break of serve early in the first set in a Cornet service game that spanned five deuces.
Collins blazed away to a 4-1 lead but when it came to serving for the set at 5-3, nerves struck the 27th seed and Cornet jumped at the opportunity, breaking back to eventually level the first set at 5-5.
The 28-year-old held serve for 6-5 and eventually stole the first set, breaking Cornet in another extended service game to take the first set 7-5.
With one foot in the semifinals, Collins never looked back after taking the opening set.
The 27th seed slapped 12 winners past the Frenchwoman and dropped just two points on her first serve in a runaway second set, which she claimed 6-1 in just 30 minutes, booking her place in her second Australian Open semi-final - her first appearance coming in 2019.
Collins now awaits either No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek or veteran Kaia Kanepi in the semifinals.
"No matter who I'm going to play, they're going to be very tough competitors, very relentless, powerful, strong, everything you would expect in a semifinal," Collins said.
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