- Saudi crown prince says no Israel ties without Palestinian state
- Canada to further cut international student, foreign worker permits
- YouTube launches new TV-focused tools for creators
- White Sox heading for worst season in MLB history
- China the top challenge in US history: senior diplomat
- Hong Kong democracy tycoon's son warns time running out
- New migraine drugs no better than cheap painkillers: big study
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs again denied bail in sex trafficking case
- Brewers clinch division title as MLB playoff race heats up
- Man City blunted by 'giant' Inter in Champions League stalemate
- US stocks dip despite larger Fed interest rate cut
- Man City held by Inter as PSG pinch win in Champions League
- All Blacks recall Beauden Barrett for Australia Test
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 20, wound 450
- Spurs late show saves Postecoglou blushes at Coventry
- PSG snatch late goal to beat Champions League debutants Girona
- Gittens' late double gives Dortmund Champions League win at Brugge
- Man City blunted by Inter in Champions League stalemate
- Hidden talent: French Olympic star Marchand opts for disguise
- MrBeast named in California lawsuit over 'Beast Games' show
- Gauff splits with Gilbert as coach after 14-month run
- Hundreds of thousands at risk in Sudan's El-Fasher: UN
- Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new sex crime charge
- Venezuelan opposition candidate says letter conceding election was coerced
- Ukraine official claims Russian advance in Kursk has been 'stopped'
- X update allows app to bypass Brazil ban: internet providers
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 14, wound 450
- US Fed makes aggressive rate cut, weeks before election
- Arsenal's Odegaard faces lengthy injury absence
- India coal expansion risks massive methane growth: report
- China the top challenge in US history, top diplomat says
- US Fed makes larger half-point cut in first reduction since 2020
- Ronaldo's Al Nassr appoint former AC Milan boss Pioli
- Ainslie 'relieved' as British book place in Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Struggling Roma replace sacked icon De Rossi with Ivan Juric
- Women's NBA will add 15th team in Portland in 2026
- Brazil fires need harsher punishment: environmental police boss
- Boeing to start large temporary furloughs amid Seattle strike
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill nine, wound 300
- 'Emergency' declared over falling UK butterfly numbers
- McIlroy outlines threats to golf peace deal
- Stock markets, dollar slip before US rate decision
- Russian advance in Kursk 'stopped': Ukraine official to AFP
- UN members demand end to 'unlawful' Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
- Snapchat pushes 'safer' platform image, but not everyone agrees
- Three dead, 100 wounded in new wave of Lebanon device explosions
- So where does the oceans' plastic waste come from?
- Allied war heroes buried in Netherlands... 80 years on
- Marsh coy over Australia's choice to open alongside Head
- New London sculpture pays tribute to trans community
RBGPF | 5.79% | 60.5 | $ | |
JRI | 0.45% | 13.44 | $ | |
BCC | 1.33% | 137.06 | $ | |
BCE | 3.09% | 35.61 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.02% | 25.055 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.12% | 24.98 | $ | |
NGG | -0.46% | 70.05 | $ | |
SCS | 0.71% | 14.11 | $ | |
RELX | -0.82% | 47.37 | $ | |
RYCEF | 1.37% | 6.55 | $ | |
RIO | -0.02% | 62.91 | $ | |
VOD | 0.49% | 10.23 | $ | |
GSK | -0.31% | 42.43 | $ | |
AZN | 0.06% | 78.58 | $ | |
BP | -0.37% | 32.43 | $ | |
BTI | -0.34% | 37.88 | $ |
Swiatek downs veteran Kanepi to make Australian Open semi-finals
Iga Swiatek came from a set down to make her maiden Australian Open semi-final Wednesday by battling past gutsy veteran Kaia Kanepi to set up a last-four clash with Danielle Collins.
Just 20, the consistent Polish seventh seed proved too resilient, ending the unseeded Estonian's surprise Melbourne Park run 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena in a exhausting 3hr 1min.
She will play Collins on Thursday for a place in the final after the American 27th seed ground down Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-1 to match her Australian Open exploits from 2019.
Swiatek is in the second week for a sixth consecutive Grand Slam since her 2020 French Open triumph, but it the first time she has made the last four away from the Paris clay.
Ranked nine, she is now projected to move to fourth in the world and could go as high as three if she wins the title.
"I had so many break points (nine) in the first set that I felt like I missed my chances," said Swiatek.
"I was pretty annoyed and I should have been focused on the next point. And that's what I did in the second set exactly that.
"They are easy things to do but they are working. I felt like she was playing so fast that I couldn't be tight. so I had to finish my forehands basically. That was enough.".
Remarkably, 115th-ranked Kanepi turned professional in 1999, two years before Swiatek was born.
But despite the 16-year age gap the Estonian showed plenty of fight as she looked to make a first Grand Slam semi-final since playing her first in 2006.
They both held serve to 2-2 in the opening set but Swiatek was the more dangerous, nailing a high percentage of returns to create three break points without converting any.
With Swiatek winning more than 80 percent of her first service points, Kanepi needed to capitalise on the second serve.
The Estonian bided her time and pounced in game seven, slamming a forehand return to go 4-3 ahead.
Swiatek saved four set points in a huge ninth game and incredibly another four as Kanepi served for the set before she finally got over the line after 64 minutes.
The Polish star's day worsened when she was broken first up in the second set, but she wasn't ready to give in. She broke straight back then held and with Kanepi seemingly wilting, struck again to take a 3-1 lead.
But a ninth Swiatek double fault helped Kanepi break back and the set went to a tiebreaker, where the Pole regrouped to dominate.
They exchanged early breaks in the deciding set before Swiatek broke again for 3-2. She looked destined to sweep home but Kanepi made life difficult before a late break ensured the Pole was victorious.
Y.Bouchard--BTB