Danielle Collins beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 7-5 6-0 to reach the second round at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. Collins won the final nine games of the match from 4-5 down.
Neither player earned a break point in the first ten games. Fifteen of the first 16 were won by the server.
Collins converted her second break point at 5-5 with a forehand winner and sealed the first set on her fourth set point with a backhand.
Osaka won just three points on serve in the second set and none on her second serve. Collins dropped just two points on her first serve in the first set and three in the second set.
Collins saved three break points in the fourth game of the second set to hold serve and broke three times to seal the win the match after 1 hour and 23 minutes with a love hold.
“I knew what to expect against Naomi. I know she has been out for a little while and is just coming back, but I lean into my tactics and rely on that, mixing the targets well, going through the visualizations that we do as athletes. This is one of the better matches that I have served this year, which I have been working on. I still feel like in good form, even though this is my last year. I have enjoyed my time on tour and had some amazing experiences that I would not have had otherwise”, said Collins.
Osaka held a 3-1 lead over Collins coming into the match. The Japanese player is making her come-back from maternity leave and has a 1-3 win-loss record this year. The Japanese player is currently ranked world number 752 in the World Ranking.
Collins has announced that she will play her final season on the WTA Tour after losing to Iga Swiatek in the second round of this year’s Australian Open.
Collins, who reached the final at the Australian Open in 2002, claimed her first main draw win in her second appearance in Abu Dhabi. The US player set up a second round match against Elena Rybakina, who holds a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head clashes.
