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American Danielle Collins overcame fourth seed Elena Rybakina to win the final of the Miami Open 7-5 6-3 on Saturday and claim the title on home soil in her farewell season.
“I used to beg my dad to take me here and he said, ‘You can go when you play in the tournament.’” Collins won nearly 75 percent of her first-serve points while claiming three of her seven break points on her way to victory in just over two hours after a stunning final set that left the crowd, including former Miami champion Andre Agassi breathless.
“This is my first WTA 1000 and I worked so hard, it has taken me a bit longer than a lot of the other players,” 30-year-old Collins told Sky Sports. “Today it has been surreal to come here and play in front of so many people and having the whole stadium by my side it’s really special.” Collins, who said in January she would retire from tennis at the end of the season, was the surprise winner at the East Coast tournament, going one step further than her performance at the 2022 Australian Open when she reached the final.
Having announced in January that she will retire from the sport at the end of this season, the 30-year-old American has reached her first WTA 1000 Series final and will meet Elena Rybakina on Saturday for the Miami Open title. — SuperSport.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter