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| Danielle Collins defeated Alize Cornet to reach the Australian Open semifinals |
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — Danielle Collins played outstanding tennis to reach the Australian Open semifinals, but only after winning the triumph of "being able to feel like a regular person."
Collins defeated Alizé Cornet, 7-5, 6-1, in a Wednesday afternoon quarterfinal match on Rod Laver Arena, less than a year after an endometriosis diagnosis prompted the surgery of a tennis-ball-sized cyst from her uterus, as well as tissue from her bladder and intestines.
"Over the years, I'd obtained information that painful periods are typical, and taking anti-inflammatories on a daily basis is reasonable," Collins explained. "It seemed like it was something I had to deal with on my own." It got to the point where I couldn't deal with it anymore, both physically and psychologically."
"I feel like it's benefited me so much — not only from a physical aspect but from a mental standpoint," she continued, "after I was able to receive the appropriate diagnosis and surgery."
Collins returned to action seven weeks after surgery at the French Open last year.
Collins' performance, Cornet observed, was much more forceful and oppressive than she had anticipated.
"Her ball is flying through the air at a high speed, and she grabs the ball really early," Cornet remarked. "You feel oppressed all of the time." I was always out of breath. I couldn't figure out where my game was. She just never allowed me to do it, and she never allowed me the time to do it. Yeah, she's a force to be reckoned with."
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| Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrated after defeating Kaia Kanepi of Estonia |
Collins, who is renowned for yelling encouragement at herself on the court, as compared to a lion before the match, but Cornet remarked afterward, "Today I don't think I gave her enough struggle so she could express herself."
Collins returns to the semifinals three years after reaching the same stage in her only previous Grand Slam singles semifinal. In 63 Grand Slam main draw appearances, Cornet was playing in her first quarterfinal. Her performance, she claimed, has given her a fresh understanding of the difficulty of progressing far in a championship like the Australian Open.
"I'll always admire the Grand Slam winner because it's such a long journey; my God, I feel like I'm playing this event for a year," Cornet remarked. "I'm psychologically and physically drained." It's significant when you go all the way and win these ridiculous seven matches."
Collins will play the seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland in a Thursday evening semifinal. Swiatek required more than three hours to overcome Estonian Kaia Kanepi, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, earlier Wednesday afternoon.
The top-seeded Australian Ashleigh Barty will face the unseeded American Madison Keys in the first semifinal on Thursday. If Collins and Keys win, it will be the first time an all-American final has been held in Melbourne since Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus in 2017.
Collins, 28, made it to the semifinals here for the first time three years ago, confirming her transition from undergraduate standout at the University of Virginia to premier professional.
Collins stated that, aside from her physical gains, she saw some of her most significant mental progress in late 2020, when American doubles specialist Bethanie Mattek-Sands took her rock climbing in Arizona.
Collins, who has a phobia of heights, said she was "terrified" by the "what ifs" of rock climbing, but that the risks involved made tennis seem "relaxing" in comparison.
"Halfway through it, I realized it's not life or death every time I go out on the court," she added. "It can be for those who climb rocks. That was a huge epiphany for me, and I believe it aided my growth in terms of stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying something I had never done before, something I was extremely afraid of. That was a watershed event for me."
Swiatek, who stormed into the top tier of the game as she raced to the 2020 French Open title without dropping a set, now has a new area of growth. Swiatek and her traveling sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, have been focusing on how to win when she isn't playing her best.
Swiatek only won after dropping the opening set three times in 13 encounters last season.
Swiatek remarked, "I'm happy of myself that I'm still able to find answers and actually think more on the court about what to do since it wasn't that apparent for me before." "Controlling my emotions and maybe truly focusing on finding answers is part of the work we've been doing with Daria."
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