After a two-month hiatus, Danielle Collins made a triumphant return to the tennis court at the Indian Wells tournament in California. The 31-year-old American tennis player had sparked controversy earlier this year at the Australian Open, where she lost in the third round to eventual champion Madison Keys. Collins’ provocative comments about her opponents and spectators had made headlines, but it seemed she was ready to put the drama behind her and focus on her game.
Before the tournament even began, Collins set the tone with the launch of her new clothing line, featuring the motto „play tennis, cash check, repeat.” The materialistic approach to the sport is nothing new for Collins, who has never been afraid to speak her mind. Fans and critics alike were waiting to see if she could back up her bold statements with a strong performance on the court.
In the first round, Collins faced off against her fellow American, Hailey Baptiste. The 23-year-old Baptiste has yet to make a significant impact on the WTA rankings, currently sitting at 100th place. Despite being a significant underdog, Baptiste put up a valiant effort, pushing Collins to the limit in a thrilling three-set match.
The first set saw Baptiste come out on top, 7:5, with Collins struggling to find her rhythm. But the veteran player regrouped and refocused, dominating the second set 6:2 and taking control of the match. The final set was a nail-biter, with both players trading breaks and neither able to gain a significant advantage. In the end, Collins’ experience and determination paid off, as she took the set 6:4 and the match 5:7, 6:2, 6:4.
The victory took 146 minutes to secure, but Collins was triumphant, advancing to the third round where she will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. With her confidence boosted by this win, Collins is ready to take on the world and silence her critics.
Statistics:
* Collins won 74% of her first-serve points, compared to Baptiste’s 63%.
* Baptiste saved three set points in the first set to take the lead.
* Collins broke Baptiste’s serve three times in the second set.
* The match saw a total of 14 breaks of serve.
What’s Next:
Collins will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the third round of the Indian Wells tournament. Svitolina, currently ranked 15th in the world, will provide a stiff challenge for Collins, but the American is riding high on her recent victory. Will Collins continue to dominate, or will Svitolina prove to be too strong? Stay tuned to find out.
Sources:
* WTA Tennis
* ESPN
* Tennis.com
* Australian Open official website