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St. Petersburg’s Danielle Collins reaches Australian Open semifinals

Collins, 25, has advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal with a victory against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
 
United States' Danielle Collins celebrates after defeating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
United States' Danielle Collins celebrates after defeating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Published Jan. 22, 2019|Updated Jan. 22, 2019

MELBOURNE, Australia — St. Petersburg’s Danielle Collins has moved a step closer to reaching her first Grand Slam final.

Collins, an unseeded 25-year-old and former Northeast High standout, reached the semifinals of the Australian Open with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory Tuesday against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.

The former two-time NCAA champion at the University of Virginia began this tournament with an 0-5 record at majors. But she has strung together five victories in a row, including her upset of three-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked Angelique Kerber 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday.

Collins put aside a poor start Tuesday, including dropping a 16-minute, 28-point, 11-deuce second game to completely dominate the final set, which she opened by grabbing 20 of 23 points.

She'll now face two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who is back in the semis at a major for the first time since she was stabbed during an attack at her home in December 2016.

"I didn't really imagine being back," a teary Kvitova said after ending the run of No. 15 Ash Barty of Australia 6-1, 6-4.

Kvitova reached her first semifinal at any Slam since Wimbledon in 2014, and first in Melbourne since 2012.

She beat local favorite Ash Barty 6-1, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena and was tearful when she said she had never imagined she would be back here playing.

Kvitova missed the 2017 Australian Open as she recovered from injuries to her left hand sustained during a home invasion in the Czech Republic the previous month.

Her best run at a major after returning from the injuries resulted in a quarterfinal exit at the U.S. Open in 2017.

Kvitova is on a 10-match winning streak after winning the title in Sydney, where she beat Barty in the final, in the week before coming to Melbourne Park.

Barty was the first Australian woman in a decade to reach the quarterfinals here.