ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Last year’s Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins needed seven match points but advanced to the Adelaide International quarterfinals on Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Swiss qualifier Jil Teichmann.
Collins never lost serve in the first set against Teichmann, although she saved two break points in the eighth game. But she came from 3-1 down in the second set, and won four straight games.
She failed to serve out the win, which set the stage for the match’s most dramatic game. From 0-40 down. Teichmann saved five match points on her serve to level the second set at 5-5, after six deuces.
Collins, who lost the 2022 Australian Open final to Ash Barty, later won six of the first seven points of the tiebreaker.
In an earlier match, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova kept her perfect 2023 record intact after an injury-forced early end to her match against Zheng Qinwen.
After coming from 5-3 down in a 71-minute opening set, and saving three set points in the ensuing tiebreaker to win it 8-6, Kvitova moved through when Zheng retired due to a left thigh injury.
“It’s not nice to end the match as we (did). I wish her all the best for the (Australian Open) which is soon,” Kvitova said on court after the match.
Kvitova, who has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and currently sits at No. 16, had an impressive win over reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the first round.
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