Aryna Sabalenka (No. 2) halted
Danielle Collins' (No. 15) winning streak with a hard-fought victory of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, as she continues her quest to defend the title. The American had been on a streak of 15 consecutive wins but couldn't capitalize on a one-set lead and suffered her first defeat since March 8th in
Indian Wells against
Iga Swiatek.
Collins got off to a strong start, taking advantage of her opponent's slow start to grab an early break and lead 3-0. However, Sabalenka gradually found her rhythm and fought back to level the break, but inconsistency on serve proved costly.
Both players had a similar first-serve percentage at 53%, winning 56% of those points, although Collins held a slight edge on the second serve. Despite squandering two set points with the score at 5-2 in her favor, the former world No. 8 managed to close out the set 6-4.
The second set saw both players elevate their service games, with both serving over 65% on their first serves and winning over 80% of those points. However, it was Sabalenka who faced more difficulties, saving several break points against her. The turning point came with a break in the ninth game, allowing her to take the set 6-4.
The start of the third set continued to favor Sabalenka, who had won five consecutive games since the previous set and took a 3-0 lead with two breaks in her favor. Collins showed her resilience by fighting for a break despite Sabalenka's strong serves, but it wasn't enough to stage a comeback. This time, the world No. 15 conceded a final break that sealed the set and the match in favor of the two-time Australian Open champion, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Sabalenka's next challenge will be against the 17-year-old rising star
Mirra Andreeva (No. 43), who celebrated her birthday with an impressive victory over
Jasmine Paolini (No. 14) by 7-6(2), 6-4.