Guadalajara Open 2022: Danielle Collins vs Caroline Dolehide preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details:
Fixture: (14) Danielle Collins vs (Q) Caroline Dolehide
Date: October 18, 2022
Tournament: Guadalajara Open 2022
Round: First Round
Venue: Panamerican Tennis Center, Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $2,527,250
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Danielle Collins vs Caroline Dolehide preview
Fresh off a semifinal appearance in San Diego last week, Danielle Collins will begin her Guadalajara campaign this week against qualifier Caroline Dolehide.
Collins made a dream start to the year with a run to her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. Her spectacular journey in Melbourne came to an end at the hands of the now-retired Ashleigh Barty.
However, the World No. 16 could not build on that performance due to her struggles with injury. In Miami, she looked to be getting back to her best as she made the last eight.
After a series of early exits, Collins briefly caught fire at the US Open before going down against Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the Round of 16.
The 28-year-old's first tournament post her home Slam was the San Diego Open last week. She showed encouraging form with three wins over Caroline Garcia, Martina Trevisan and Paula Badosa.
Having lost a nail-biting semifinal to Donna Vekic in a third-set tiebreak, the American will be eager to make amends in Guadalajara.
Caroline Dolehide, meanwhile, has tasted more success in doubles than singles. She has been to the semifinals of Wimbledon and the US Open in women's doubles, apart from making the quarterfinals of the Australian Open twice. The 24-year-old is currently ranked No. 34 in doubles.
In singles, the American's best ranking is 102, which she achieved in 2018. She has a 24-22 win-loss record in singles this year, having plied her trade mostly in the qualifying rounds of tour-level events and on the ITF circuit.
Dolehide's best performances on the tour this season came at the Silicon Valley Classic and Abierto de Guadalajara. In both tournaments, she made the Round of 16 from the qualifying stages.
At the San Diego Open last week, she beat Jil Teichmann on her way to qualifying for the main draw before losing to Karolina Pliskova in the first round.
Danielle Collins vs Caroline Dolehide head-to-head
Collins has a 3-1 lead in her head-to-head over Dolehide. The latter's only win came in 2017 at Rancho Santa Fe. Collins cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Dolehide in their most recent encounter in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open.
Danielle Collins vs Caroline Dolehide odds
(Odds sourced from oddschecker)
Danielle Collins vs Caroline Dolehide prediction
Collins comes into this contest as the overwhelming favorite by dint of her ranking and experience.
Few players can match Collins' speed on the court and her ability to take the ball on the rise by planting herself inside the baseline. The Australian Open runner-up has played intermittently on the tour since her Melbourne heroics due to her physical woes. It has robbed her of a chance to sustain her best form for a long time.
However, San Diego was a welcome return to form for the 28-year-old. She made her first semifinal since the inaugural Slam of the year on the back of some terrific shotmaking.
With Collins looking to have found her rhythm and confidence back, it doesn't bode well for her next opponent. Dolehide does strike the ball aggressively, with her forehand and her second serve being her standout weapon.
But the youngster isn't the most consistent shotmaker around. Her attacking play often tends to leak a high number of unforced errors under pressure. Dolehide's return game is also an area that needs a lot of improvement.
Given her lack of experience, she doesn't look likely to cause an upset in this match and Collins should have little trouble reaching the second round in Guadalajara.
Pick: Danielle Collins to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out: Danielle Collins Net Worth