By Sudipto Ganguly
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – French Open winner Iga Swiatek rallied from a set and a break down in brutal heat to overpower Estonian Kaia Kanepi 4-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach her first Australian Open semi-final.
Kanepi, 36, appeared set to progress beyond the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time when she won the opening set and broke early in the second, with a frustrated Swiatek slapping herself and slamming her racquet on court.
But the Pole, who committed 12 double faults in the match, regained her composure and raised her level in a second set tiebreaker to level the contest at 1-1.
Swiatek suffered two more breaks in the decider but managed to break 115th-ranked Kanepi four times, sealing the three-hour contest on her second match point when the Estonian sent a backhand wide for her 62nd unforced error.
Swiatek will meet 27th-seeded American Danielle Collins, who defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 7-5 6-1 earlier on Wednesday, for a place in the final.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by Peter Rutherford)
