SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — American Danielle Collins won her second career title in just a two-week span, holding off No. 4 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-3, 6-7 (10), 6-1 after a thrilling second-set tiebreaker Sunday in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.
Collins, seeded seventh, won her first championship at Palermo on July 25 in Italy. The 27-year-old Collins dropped just two games in her semifinal rout of Croatian Ana Konjuh.
On Sunday, she reminded herself she would have to be patient to outlast Kasatkina — and there would be some mistakes.
“I got off to a pretty good start in the first set and played some solid tennis. I don’t think Daria was playing her best in the first set. In the second set she really stepped her game up at 5-3 when I was up,” Collins said. “Today I executed my game plan well. It’s tough when you go against an opponent who runs down so many balls, anticipates so well, because a lot of times you’re having to win the point six, seven, eight times.”
The 24-year-old Kasatkina beat No. 1 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s semifinals to reach her fourth championship match of the season but missed out on her third title in that span. She earned victories at the Phillip Island Trophy in Melbourne and the St. Petersburg Ladies Open.
“Tough match with drama in the second set,” Kasatkina said. “But obviously Danielle was playing great tennis. She’s now on the wave, I would say. She’s playing amazing.”
It was the third career meeting between them and second on hardcourts this year after Kasatkina beat Collins 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-1 in a 2-hour, 29-minute match in February at Phillip Island in Melbourne, Australia.
In doubles, Darija Jurak of Croatia and Andreja Klepac of Slovenia beat Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani of Brazil 6-1, 7-5.
This marked the third year the tournament will be played in San Jose after moving from Stanford. It was canceled last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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