Former UVA women’s tennis standout Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) secured her shot at a berth in the 2017 U.S. Open on Saturday (Sept. 10) when she won the women’s draw at the American Collegiate Invitational.
Collins defeated Ronit Yurovsky of Michigan 6-2, 6-4 in the finals, completing a sweep through the tournament that saw the three-time All-American win each of her matches in straight sets.
“I got off to a really hot start, which is something I’ve been working on,” Collins said. “I’m trying not to give too many opportunities to my opponents early. I want to get the momentum early so I’m not having to fight back. She’s such a fighter and once I got up 5-0 early, I knew she would do something drastically different to get on the board. She amped it up in the second set.”
As the winner of the American Collegiate Invitational, Collins will receive a wild card into the 2017 US Open main draw or qualifying round depending on her ranking next summer. If she is ranked in the top 120 by the US Open entry deadline next summer, Collins will receive a wild card entry into the main draw of the 2017 US Open. If ranked below 120, Collins will receive a wild card into the qualifying tournament.
The American Collegiate Invitational, open only to American college players, began in 2014 as a way to spotlight college tennis during the US Open. Eight men and eight women play single-elimination singles tournaments during the second week of the US Open, with the winners receiving a wild card into the 2017 US Open, main draw or qualifying, depending on their ranking next summer.
The fields are comprised of the top two players in the ATP/WTA rankings (as of July 18) and the top five players in the year-end Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings (excluding those selected by pro ranking), including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
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Chris Graham
