Unstoppable Collins dominates Kasatkina to claim Charleston Open trophy

We might finally have our answer to the question, “Can anyone stop Danielle Collins?”

And the answer is – no. At least not in Charleston.

In her final appearance at the crown jewel of clay-court tennis in the United States, Collins brought her top level (as she has for 13 matches in a row) and gets to leave with the top prize. The American defeated No. 4 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 to claim the Credit One Charleston Open singles championship, and her second title in as many weeks.

“I wanted to say I was going to miss you [Danielle] on tour, but after this match… I’m not sure,” said Kasatkina with a grin during the trophy ceremony, getting a laugh out of Collins, sitting court-side. “Charleston is one of the places where I feel like home, being far away from home.”

Indeed it must for Kasatkina, who maintains an impressive 19-4 record at the Charleston Open, even despite the loss.

“This is a player favourite event,” echoed Collins, trophy in hand, to the adoring crowd. “We love coming here, all of us. We all have great memories and stories of coming here… and that’s largely because of the people behind the event.

“We always feel at home here, each and every one of us.”

Kasatkina struggled early on in the match with Collins’ pace, with the American – as she’s done all week – seizing control off the first ball in every early rally. The Russian was able to fight off a handful of break points in a marathon opening service game courtesy of her elite clay-court movement, scrambling to retrieve Collins groundstrokes that against any other player would have been hit as winners.

Credit One Stadium, Credit One Charleston Open
2024 Credit One Charleston Open Day 9 at Credit One Stadium on April 07, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina.

But on the fourth break point, it was the American who was finally able to find the line on a backhand that Kasatkina couldn’t reach, and the early lead was hers. Collins quickly consolidated her break with a hold to 30 on the back of another line-clipping backhand that her opponent was unable to control.

A critical break-point save at 0-3 with a stylish forehand up the line opened the door for Kasatkina to get on the board, and it looked for a moment that she might have the momentum to reel Collins back in following her first hold.

But facing 0-30 in the following game, last week’s Miami Open champ found the big serves when she needed them, one of the biggest improvements in her game during her red-hot run of form this year. It was ultimately the closest the No. 4 seed would get to breaking the Collins serve in the set, as the American – looking to join compatriots Sloane Stephens & Ashlyn Krueger in the winner’s circle this week in Charleston – stormed through the next three games to ear the one-set lead.

Credit One Stadium, Credit One Charleston Open
2024 Credit One Charleston Open Day 9 at Credit One Stadium on April 07, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The second set got off to a familiar start, as the Collins, now in full flight and confident off both wings, held and then broke the Kasatkina serve with a jaw-dropping backhand return winner off a meager service delivery. The Russian, who played a nearly three-hour thriller against Pegula the previous day and appeared to be somewhat hampered by a leg injury, faded quickly from there.

In the blink of an eye, Collins consolidated her break and, four games later, the rest was history.

And we mean ‘history’ literally. The American’s straight-sets victory was the first time a player has won the Miami Open and the Charleston Open since the legendary Serena Williams did so back in what many consider her career-best year of 2013.

Collins capped off victory with perhaps one of the cleanest stat sheets of her 13-match win streak, winning 95% of her first serves and absolutely dominating Kasatkina’s second serve, claiming 21 of 29 points played off it.

She goes into the European clay court season at No. 15 in the WTA rankings and surpasses fellow American Coco Gauff in the Race to the WTA Finals at No. 4.

No stopping DANIMAL 😤

Danielle Collins races to her fourth career title and extends her match win streak to 13!#CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/tcHTNFYEEt

— wta (@WTA) April 7, 2024

Players in this article

Danielle Collins

Daria Kasatkina