By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday April 6, 2024
Miami champion Danielle Collins stretched her winning streak to 12 with a semifinal victory over Maria Sakkari in Charleston.
Photo Source: Getty
Danielle Collins – all she does is win.
Last week’s Miami Open champion is one win away from winning back-to-back titles after a decisive 6-3, 6-3 victory over Maria Sakkari on Saturday in Credit One Stadium. The 30-year-old American, who announced plans to retire at the end of the season in January, has gone on a run for the ages on home soil over the last three weeks.
“This is what I live for, this is what I’m doing right now,” Collins said. “I gotta bring the fire.”
Last week she won her biggest career title at Miami, defeating Top-5 talent Elena Rybakina in the final. This week in Charleston, after switching surfaces and barely having time to rest, she has won 10 of 11 seats and taken out three seeded players to book a spot in the final alongside No.4-seeded Daria Kasatkina.
Collins was on the throttle early against Sakkari, as she saved four of five break points and won 26 of 55 return points to move past the No.3 seed in one hour and 26 minutes.
With today’s victory she tied her career-best winning streak and she would surpass it with a victory in Sunday’s final. The American is playing loose, and talking loose, as she has reeled off win after win.
"I just go out there and bring that hot sauce, that's what I was thinking out there today -- hot sauce, baby,” Collins said with smile.
Collins was outside of the Top 70 in the first week of February, but now is up to No.18 in the live rankings. She is also tied for third on the WTA Tour with 21 match wins on the season. She can tie Iga Swiatek and Rybakina on that list with a victory on Sunday against Kasatkina.
Kasatkina edged past Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) in a gritty battle in Saturday’s first semifinal. The Russian owns a 2-1 lifetime edge over Collins, but lost their last clash in the San Jose final in 2021.
“Dasha’s a warrior,” Collins said. “She goes out there, she’s always battling, she never gives up – it’s hard to beat someone that never gives up. I love the way that she plays, creatively. I love her tennis mind – she’s one of my favorite players to watch.
“We’ve had so many intense battles, and it’s really been rewarding, even in tough ones that I’ve lost to here, because the tennis has been at such a high level.”
Kasatkina erased an 0-2 lifetime record against Pegula to reach her third final of 2024 (also Adelaide and Abu Dhabi).