Clinical Collins dispatches Garcia to reach Miami Open semi-finals
The American was in blistering form as she overpowered Garcia 6-3, 6-2 to reach her second semi-final at the Miami Open
Danielle Collins competes at the 2024 Miami Open © Julien Nouet / Tennis Majors
Danielle Collins emphatically defeated Caroline Garcia at the Miami Open, powering past the Frenchwoman 6-3, 6-2 to reach her second semi-final in Miami.
It is Collins’ second 1000-level semi-final, having reached her first six years ago at the very same tournament.
The American was almost flawless throughout, eviscerating the ball off both wings as she simply overawed an ailing Garcia in front of a delighted Miami crowd in the Hard Rock Stadium.
Collins has now won all four of her encounters with Garcia, taking them all in eight straight sets.
The opening set went on serve until the eighth game, when Collins struck her first blow — taking her second break point of the game to nudge 5-3 ahead. Despite the brief wobble of a double-fault on her first set point, the American eventually got over the line on her third to move into a deserved one-set lead.
Things looked to be quickly getting away from Garcia at the start of the second set, losing serve in the third game just before she required a medical timeout to receive treatment on her troublesome right shoulder.
It was clear that Garcia was hampered by the issue, especially as her game is built around her serve, and she will be disappointed not to have been able to produce her best tennis in such an important match.
“She made a good match, she hit so hard and in the same time it was so accurate,” Garcia said after the loss. “Based on her results at Miami, I was cooked the same way than the others. In the first shots – serve and return, she was just higher than me.
“These were two long weeks for the back and the shoulder.”
dialled-in collins brings the intensity in her final miami appearance
Despite Garcia’s physical struggles, however, Collins was simply dialled in from start to finish, bringing an intensity that never looked likely to let up. In front of her home crowd in Miami, and in what she’s said will be her final season, the Floridian overpowered the Frenchwoman with sheer power and force of will.
Collins broke Garcia again in the second set in a lengthy seventh game that saw the Frenchwoman save four break points before finally buckling under the relentless pressure and weight of the ball coming down at her from the other side of the net.
The American then took her place on the baseline at 5-2 and served out an immaculate love hold to clinch an excellent win in just 80 minutes.
A former Australian Open finalist and top-10 member, Collins began her season by making an off-the-cuff announcement in Melbourne that 2024 would be her last season.
When she does retire, the WTA will lose one of its feistiest and most tenacious players. At her best, Collins is a top-five player without a doubt. Injuries have sadly hampered her potential achievements over the years, but she has still given the tennis world some sparkling moments.
Before calling time on her career, however, Collins is more than capable of one last big title to sign off her final year on tour in style.
How appropriate it would be for that to come in her home state’s biggest tournament.
Collins will face either Ekaterina Alexandrova, conqueror of Iga Swiatek, or fellow American Jessica Pegula in the last four as she seeks to reach her maiden Miami Open final.
