By Canadian Press

Australian Open: Canada’s Auger-Aliassime drops five-set heartbreaker to Medvedev

Jan 26, 2022 | 5:53 AM

MELBOURNE, Australia — Daniil Medvedev rallied from two sets down and saved a match point before beating Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 6-4 to move into the Australian Open semifinals.

The U.S. Open champion’s bid to become the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title in the next major tournament is still on track after the 4-hour, 42-minute comeback victory.

A six-minute delay in the third-set tiebreaker for the roof on Rod Laver Arena to be closed during a rain shower swung the momentum mostly in Medvedev’s favor.

Auger-Aliassime won only one of the last six points in the tiebreaker after dominating for the first two sets. He missed a match point on Medvedev’s serve in the 10th game of the fourth set.

Medvedev saved it with a big first serve out wide and then held with an overhead winner. The 25-year-old Russian broke in the penultimate game and held to level the match at two-sets all. He then got another service break when Auger-Aliassime double-faulted in the third game of the deciding set.

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Medvedev had to save two break points before closing it out more than an hour after saving a match point.

Medvedev will play Friday against French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek extended his perfect record in Grand Slam quarterfinals to 5-0 with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 11 Jannik Sinner.

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6:50 p.m.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has kept his Grand Slam quarterfinal record perfect with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Jannik Sinner.

The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas has now won all five major quarterfinals he’s played in, but is yet to win a Grand Slam title. 

Tsitsipas will face the winner of the later quarterfinal match between U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev and No. 9-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime.

No. 11 Sinner had equaled his best Grand Slam result by reaching the last eight at Melbourne Park, having also reached the quarterfinals at the 2020 French Open. 

Tsitsipas has one win in his previous four semifinals at Grand Slams, at Roland Garros last year.

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4:25 p.m.

Former French Open champion Iga Swiatek has improved on her stellar record against players ranked outside the top 30 at Grand Slam tournaments with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over Kai Kanepi to advance to the semifinals. 

The 36-year-old Kanepi is ranked 115th but was playing in her seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal and was coming off an upset win over No. 2-ranked Aryna Sabalenka. 

Swiatek will play American Danielle Collins in the semifinals on Thursday night. 

Collins reached the semifinals in Australia in 2019. 

The 20-year-old Swiatek, the 2020 champion at Roland Garros, is in the last four at Melbourne Park for the first time. 

Swiatek has 30 wins in 32 matches against those ranked outside the top 30 in majors and also improved her record to having reached the fourth round at her past six Grand Slam tournaments. 

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1:15 p.m.

Danielle Collins swung the match in her favor with a key service break in the final game of the opening set on her way to a 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Alize Cornet.

The 28-year-old American equaled her best previous performance at Melbourne Park — she also advanced to the semifinals in 2019.

The loss ended a strong run by Cornet, who played her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 63rd main-draw appearance. The French player had an upset victory over two-time major winner Simona Halep n the fourth round. The WTA says that Cornet should return to the top 50 in the rankings due to her performance here .

Collins will play the winner of the following quarterfinal on Rod Laver Arena between former French Open champion Iga Swiatek and Kai Kanepi.

Collins is the second American into the semifinals. Madison Keys will play top-ranked Ash Barty in the other.

Collins underwent surgery last year to treat endometriosis, with the condition leaving her in severe pain during tournaments last year.

“It feels incredible, especially after some of the health challenges I’ve had,” Collins said in her post match interview.

“To be able to get back to this level and be able to compete like the way I have been and being able to be as physical as I haven’t been so rewarding.”

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12:45 p.m.

Danielle Collins swung the match in her favor with a key service break in the final game of the opening set on her way to a 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Alize Cornet.

The 28-year-old American equaled her best previous performance at Melbourne Park — she also advanced to the semifinals in 2019.

The loss ended a strong run by Cornet, who played her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 63rd main-draw appearance. The French player had an upset victory over two-time major winner Simona Halep n the fourth round. The WTA says that Cornet should return to the top 50 in the rankings due to her performance here .

Collins will play the winner of the following quarterfinal on Rod Laver Arena between former French Open champion Iga Swiatek and Kai Kanepi.

Collins is the second American into the semifinals. Madison Keys will play top-ranked Ash Barty in the other.

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10:45 a.m.

Danielle Collins and Alize Cornet begin play on Rod Laver Arena on the second day of women’s quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.

The 32-year-old Cornet is making her first appearance in a quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She upset two-time major winner Simona Halep in the fourth round.

The 28-year-old Collins will be trying to match her best performance here when she advanced to the semifinals in 2019.

The winner will face either Iga Swiatek or Kai Kanepi, who play their quarterfinals match later in the day.

Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev is expecting one of the toughest challenges to his bid to collect a second consecutive Grand Slam singles title when he plays 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in a night match.

Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Jannik Sinner in the other men’s quarterfinal.

The winners will meet Friday in one men’s semifinal, while Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini have already booked their spot in the other, also on Friday.

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The Associated Press