• Australian Open

Murray's Australian Open heroics matched by Briton Swan

ESPN staff
January 30, 2015
Katie Swan beat her good friend Dalma Galfi to reach the girls' final © Getty Images
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Great Britain has two finalists at the Australian Open this weekend after Katie Swan reached the junior girls' final at Melbourne Park.

With Andy Murray having already reached the men's final with a tense victory over Tomas Berdych, 15-year-old Swan, who is from Bristol but now based in Kansas in the United States, recovered from a bagel opening set to beat fifth-seed Dalma Galfi 0-6 7-6(5) 7-5.

Robson return

  • Former British No.1 Laura Robson is down to play at Indian Wells in March.
  • The 21-year-old has not played a competitive match since losing in the opening round of last year's Australian Open to Kristen Flipkens. She had surgery on her left wrist three months later.
  • Robson is expected to make her comeback on the second-tier ITF circuit in February before returning to WTA Tour action in California.
  • Robson had climbed to world No.27 in 2013, but has dropped to 941 in her time away from the game.

Swan, the 15th seed, had already knocked out top-ranked Shilin Xu and saved three match points in a dramatic final set against Galfi

Swan will face unseeded Tereza Mihalikova in the Rod Laver Arena, after the Slovakian teenager saw off Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-4 7-5.

Swan's family relocated to the US two years ago, and although she has developed an American accent, she said: "I'm definitely British, even though I don't sound it.

"I'm still with the LTA and I'm not doing anything for the USTA.

"My British friends think I sound fully American and my American friends think I still sound English. It's funny, they both give me stick about my accent."

Before her semi-final, Swan told reporters: "I'm loving it here. It's even better that I'm still going. I definitely feel like I belong here and I've shown that on the court this week."

Swan is Britain's first junior finalist in Melbourne since Laura Robson, who was runner-up in 2009 and 2010.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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