WHAT HAPPENED: In a competitive first-round match between world No. 35 Danielle Collins from the United States and No. 57 Polona Hercog of Slovenia, it was Collins who came through with the victory, posting a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win on Court 11 on Day 2 of the US Open.
A major takeaway from the match was the constant momentum swings and how patterns of play were continuously changing throughout the three sets. Right when you thought a player got comfortable with one style of play, an adjustment was made quickly.
In the first set, Collins clearly came into the match with a set strategy and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Her precision and power on her backhand wing were nearly impeccable, as was her ability to take balls out of the air, which cut down Hercog’s recovery time. On the flipside, a flustered Hercog took some time to feel her opponent out and figure out what game plan she wanted to use. Collins took the first set, 6-3, in dominant fashion, as her fellow University of Virginia fans in the crowd cheered her on every step of the way.
Interestingly, Collins was still the aggressor in set two, but Hercog’s point tolerance went up. It was no longer the 6-foot-tall Slovenian trying to find ways to attack. Rather, she rolled with the punches and used her height, speed and athleticism to her advantage, scrambling from far back behind the baseline to grind out some long points and wait for the right opportunity to attack. Hercog won the competitive second set, 6-4.
In the final set, Collins and Hercog were toe to toe until 4-4, when Collins broke Hercog's serve, giving her the chance to serve for the match. With the 5-4 lead, Collins nailed a drop shot, followed by a passing shot, and the American claimed the victory.
WHAT IT MEANS: The win gives Collins her first-ever victory in four tries at the US Open. Earlier this year, she made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open before falling to Petra Kvitova.
Hercog exits the 2019 US Open in the first round for the third time in the last four years. This was her first Grand Slam match since her third-round thriller against Cori Gauff at 2019 Wimbledon, which the American teen won, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
Collins faces the winner of No. 19 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Yafan Wang of China in the second round.
MATCH POINT: Collins was a 2016 graduate of the University of Virginia and earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies and business. She was also a two-time NCAA women’s singles champion in 2014 and 2016. With the age of tennis getting so much older, do you think more tennis players will pursue a college degree before turning professional?
