Miami Open 2022: Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (9) Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva
Date: 26 March 2022
Tournament: Miami Open presented by Itau
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Miami, Florida, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $8,584,055
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva preview
Ninth seed Danielle Collins will lock horns with Russian qualifier Vera Zvonareva in the third round of the Miami Open on Saturday.
After a fabulous start to the year that saw her finish as the runner-up at the Australian Open, injuries and illness reared their ugly heads yet again for Collins. The World No. 11 complained of dizziness before retiring from her first match in Dubai and subsequently pulled out of Indian Wells due to injury.
At the Miami Open on Thursday, she was subjected to a stern test by World No. 76 Anna Bondar in the second round. The 28-year-old had to claw her way back from a break down in the decider before pulling off a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win.
Danielle Collins moves on in Miami with 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Bondar!Danielle holds on ✊
🇺🇸 Danielle Collins moves on in Miami with 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Bondar!
#MiamiOpen https://t.co/1I65DrwlYj
The hard-fought win may have helped Collins shake off the rust ahead of sterner tests to come.
Following a run to the semifinals at the WTA 125 event in Limoges in December, Zvonareva has struggled for form. She managed to win just a solitary match in seven events heading into the Miami Open.
The former World No. 2, however, seems to have found her groove this week at the Hard Rock Stadium. She battled through a couple of three-setters in qualifying, before cruising through the first two rounds of the main draw.
Vera Zvonareva having a very good week in Miami.
Into R3.
The 37-year-old's most recent win came over the 19th seed and last year's Roland Garros semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, which would have boosted her confidence levels.
Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva head-to-head
Collins leads Zvonareva 2-0 in the head-to-head. Their first meeting was at the Indian Wells 125K event in 2018, when the American ran away to a 6-1, 6-4 win. Collins doubled her lead over Zvonareva at Madrid the following year with an identical scoreline.
Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva prediction
By dint of her past wins over Zvonareva and her superb start to the year, Collins is the heavy favorite to win this contest.
The American did need a bit of time to find her rhythm in her first match of the tournament. But reeling off five games in a row from a break deficit in the decider would have done her a world of good.
The Florida native will be eager to build on that performance and make a deep run at her home tournament. Collins likes to take the ball early by stepping into the court, and will look to rob Zvonareva of time to wind up on her strokes. Although the Russian has notched up easy wins in her last couple of matches, she has been slow off the ground of late.
A stunning backhand down-the-line winner from Vera Zvonareva seals the game!
Despite visibly not moving as well as in her previous matches, she was hitting some amazing shots and still showcased her impressive defensive skills. https://t.co/AWvnPf9kru
Zvonareva's struggles with footwork and movement don't bode well for her against a player like Collins, who hits the ball with tremendous pace.
This will also be Zvonareva's fifth match of the tournament and the Russian might find it difficult to sustain her level of play, considering the fact that she is 37.
Prediction: Danielle Collins to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Results