A not-yet-but-maybe-future Austinite is already wanting ahead to what is perhaps her remaining go to to the match she calls residence.
Floridian Danielle Collins, a semifinalist on the inaugural ATX Open in 2023, stated earlier than Christmas that she will’t wait to return to Westwood Nation Membership for the match’s second 12 months. The occasion will start Saturday.
“I really feel like I’m at residence every time I’m in Austin,” Collins stated. “I name this my residence match now. I really like the place I’m in Florida, however Austin is up there on the record for a post-retirement place to stay. I actually like the great vibes we get in Austin.”
Collins leads a powerful group of gamers who will compete for the highest prize on the match, which is able to finish March 3. Fellow ATX Open semifinalist Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka and rising U.S. star Peyton Stearns, a singles and group nationwide champion at Texas, additionally will play.
Azarenka is a former WTA No. 1 participant and a two-time Australian Open singles champion.
“Azarenka coming is a giant win for us,” stated Bryan Sheffield, the founder and promoter of the DropShot Event Collection, which owns the occasion.
Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva earned a spot in the primary draw by advantage of her win on the ITF Tour H-E-B Ladies’s Professional Tennis Open, with a winner’s wild card.
Collins hopes to get off to a quick begin this 12 months after an up-and-down 2023 that noticed her rating climb as excessive as No. 11 earlier than dropping to 53 in December. She enters the ATX Open at No. 46. Stephens is forty first, and Stearns is sixty fifth.
“I had a few unlucky outcomes that would have gone both manner after which I had some accidents across the French Open and Wimbledon timeframe,” Collins stated. “However on the finish of the 12 months I used to be taking part in some actually good tennis. I don’t suppose my sport is reflective of my rating. I really feel like I’ve made numerous enhancements mentally, bodily, and emotionally and have added some extra selection to my sport.”
Collins almost began her 2024 season with a serious upset on the Australian Open. Within the second spherical, she led top-ranked Iga Swiatek 4-1 within the third set however couldn’t shut it out. Swiatek received the ultimate 5 video games to take the match. Afterward, Collins introduced that she plans to retire on the finish of the 2024 season.
Different updates from the match:
Qualifying weekend: Play in the primary draw will start Monday, however the qualifying rounds begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and are free and open to the general public.
Draw celebration: Saturday’s official match draw will probably be open to the general public at a 5 p.m. draw celebration, the place all 32 gamers will probably be positioned within the bracket after which a doubles match will probably be performed for charity.
Sunday occasions: After the qualifying matches finish about 2 p.m. Sunday, there will probably be a tennis and golf exhibition with part-time Austinite Sergio Garcia, Azarenka, Collins, Stephens and Ajla Tomljanovic.
Watching matches: This 12 months there is a new format in addition to alternatives for spectators to get courtside for matches and participant follow classes. The stadium courtroom setup stays largely unchanged, however the grandstand courtroom will function a courtside membership, and the courtroom that served because the match merchandise store will probably be used for matches. A 3rd courtroom has been added, and follow courts will probably be extra accessible.
This text initially appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ATX Open girls’s skilled tennis match returns to Austin
