San Diego Open 2022: Danielle Collins vs Donna Vekic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Danielle Collins vs (Q) Donna Vekic.
Date: October 15, 2022.
Tournament: San Diego Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, California, United States.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $757,900.
Match Timing: Approx. 3:30 pm local time, 10:30 pm GMT, 6:30 pm ET, 4 am IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Danielle Collins vs Donna Vekic preview
World No. 19 Danielle Collins will square off against qualifier Donna Vekic in the semifinals of the 2022 San Diego Open on Saturday.
Collins kicked off her campaign by defeating World No. 10 Caroline Garcia, followed by a win over 2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan. She was up against World No. 4 Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals.
The opening set featured constant momentum shifts as neither player was able to hold on to their lead for too long. Collins was up a break thrice, but Badosa fought back every time to get back on serve. The Spaniard secured a break in the 11th game to lead 6-5, but failed to close out the set in the following game as she lost serve.
Collins was too solid in the ensuing tie-break, coming out on top to clinch the set. The American went up a break to lead 2-1 in the second set, but Badosa leveled the score immediately.
Collins got the decisive break in the seventh game of the set and consolidated her lead with a hold of serve to go 5-3 up. She faced a minor hiccup while closing out the proceedings, but after saving a couple of break points, she won the match 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Donna Vekic won a couple of qualifying matches before securing her place in the main draw here. She knocked out World No. 7 Maria Sakkari in the first round and sent former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova packing after that. Standing between her and a spot in the semifinals was World No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka.
Vekic broke her opponent's serve twice towards the end of the opening set to claim it. The second set began with three straight breaks of serve, with the Croat gaining the upper hand for a 2-1 lead. Sabalenka managed to get back on serve down the line, pushing the set into a tie-break.
The Belarusian grabbed the tie-break and took the match to a decider. Vekic stamped her authority in the final set, reeling off five games in a row to win the match 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Danielle Collins vs Donna Vekic head-to-head
Collins leads Vekic 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2018 Miami Open in three sets.
Danielle Collins vs Donna Vekic odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Danielle Collins vs Donna Vekic prediction
Both have scored a couple of wins over top 10 players en route to the semifinals. Collins hasn't dropped a set yet, while Vekic lost her first one in the previous round against Sabalenka.
Collins' will need to improve her serving performance against the Croat. She threw in 10 double faults against Badosa in the quarterfinals. But aside from her wobbly serve, everything else worked perfectly. She simply crushed it with her backhand, even causing the Spaniard to throw her racquet away in frustration.
Vekic could've won her previous match in straight sets, but a slight dip in form cost her. She did well to regroup quickly, but such a lapse might prove costly against the American. The Croat has been playing some inspired tennis this week, but Collins is likely to end her run here.
Pick: Danielle Collins to win in three sets.