FILE PHOTO: Mar 30, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Elena Rybakina (KAZ) serves against Danielle Collins (USA) (not pictured) in the women's singles final of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
Scorching-hot Danielle Collins stretched her winning streak to 12 matches by dispatching Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday afternoon to advance to the championship match of the Credit One Charleston Open in South Carolina.
Collins had four aces and saved four of five break points while ousting third-seeded Sakkari in just 85 minutes. The 2022 Australian Open runner-up has won 24 of her last 25 sets since losing her first set of the Miami Open against Bernarda Pera before going on to win the 1000-level tournament.
The 12-match winning streak matches Collins' career best from 2021 when she won back-to-back titles at Palermo (Italy) and San Jose. In Sunday's title match, she will face fourth-seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina, who outlasted top-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5).
Kasatkina converted 8 of 13 break points to top Pegula in two hours, 47 minutes. Pegula led 6-5 in the third set before Kasatkina won the 12th game to even the match. Kasatkina dug out of a hole in the tiebreak by winning six of the last eight points for the victory.
Kasatkina has won two of the three previous meeting with Collins. However, Collins defeated Kasatkina to win the title at San Jose.
Copa Colsanitas
No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic racked up eight aces en route to a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Russian eighth seed Kamilla Rakhimova in the semifinals at Bogota, Colombia.
After falling behind 1-0 in the second-set tiebreaker, Bouzkova took control, winning four straight points and seven of the next eight to complete the sweep. She will face sixth-seeded Colombian Camila Osorio in Sunday's final.
Osorio also prevailed in straight sets, ousting Italy's Sara Errani 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the other semifinal.
