Danielle Collins overcame fellow American Venus Williams at the first round of the 2019 Wuhan Open on Sunday, winning 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a match of fluctuating fortunes.
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Needing just over two hours to overcome Williams, Collins maintained her 100% record over the former world number one by notching up her second win over her competitor. However, the man was full of twists and turns as Collins overcame some tricky situations to make it to the second round where she will take on Aryna Sabalenka.
Collins faced two set points on her own serve at 4-5 in the first set, but overcame both to level the match at 5-5. And then off the first opportunity she got to break Venus in the 11th game of that set, Collins converted it before serving it out 7-5.
The second set went even crazier. Venus Williams was broken three times in a row to allow Collins to race off to a 5-0 lead but then struggled to serve out for the match. Williams clawed back to claim her first game of the set on Collins’ serve, and then held on to make it 5-2.
Collins was broken twice more before Venus got broken for a fourth time – and on love – to allow her another chance to serve out for the match. She failed to do so again which took the set to a tie-breaker.
It was in the tie-breaker that the world number 35 finally prevailed to enter the second round.
Sabalenka did not waste too much time overcoming fellow Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, winning in straight sets as well. She took out her countrywoman 6-1, 6-2 to enter the second round.
In another match in the day, Dayana Yastremska overcame a fighting first set showing from Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic and will now take on the winner of the match between Anastasija Sevastova and Christina McHale.
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