Danielle Collins makes quick work of opponent, moves into ATX Open quarterfinals

Danielle Collins put on the most impressive performance of the ATX Open so far Thursday night.

Crisp in all aspects of her game and utilizing the aggressive power she’s known for, Collins routed Caty McNally 6-1, 6-1 in barely more than an hour in a second-round match at Westwood Country Club.

“I felt like I was in the zone today and was really concentrating well,” said Collins, the No. 4 seed who entered the week ranked 38th. “At the start of the year I’ve played really tough opponents every week, with every loss being to a player in the top 10 except for one. So, it’s hard coming off those close matches, but it should give me confidence against lower-ranked players.”

Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up who spent a good chunk of last year ranked in the top 10 and also reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open, was at a different level from the start. She needed only two break points for the two times she broke McNally — who's ranked 75th — in the first set and won the majority of points on McNally’s first serve.

Little changed in the second set, with Collins breaking McNally’s final three service games and winning half of her first serves.

“I have a lot of experience working through the ups and downs of the tour,” said Collins, 29, who turned pro in 2016. “You’re always going to have times where things are going really well and times where you hit some bumps in the road. I’ve kind of regained focus the last couple of matches.”

The way the tournament has played out, Collins, who beat Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4 in the first round, is the highest-seeded player left.

She faces Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals on Friday and theoretically could play fifth-seeded and fellow American Sloane Stephens in Sunday’s final — which would be the tournament organizers’ dream — but she said who is seeded or what players’ rankings are mean little.

“I think the whole idea with the seeds is a bit of an antiquated thing at this point,” she said. “Every week top seeds are losing and are out early. And that just speaks to the depth in the women’s game across the board. We’re all really neck-and-neck in so many ways, so any week any player could do really well.”

Like Peyton Stearns, Danielle Collins came up through college ranks

Collins is a bit of an anomaly — and perhaps in 10 years or so could be viewed as a trailblazer if more players go the college route — on the tour as she played college tennis rather than turning pro in her late teens.

Spending four years at Virginia, where she won the NCAA singles national title as a sophomore and senior, is a decision she noted has helped her thrive.

“For me, I couldn’t afford to turn pro coming from the family I came from,” she said. “I wasn’t someone who came from financial opportunity, so going to college was a great way for me to get into an environment where I had two coaches, a physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coaches and team doctors. I also got to develop other life skills outside of tennis, and I think that really helped me as a person. Going the college route is a healthy way of getting into professional tennis, because it can be a lonely road on the tour.”

It’s also relevant as Peyton Stearns, who will also play in the quarterfinals today and spent two years playing at Texas, where she won the NCAA national singles title last spring, has thrived in her first year as a pro.

More: Peyton Stearns is on a track to tennis stardom, wrote Kirk Bohls last year

“I think for Peyton, it’s really showing that going to college helped her,” Collins said. “Her college coaches obviously did a great job with her. She’s an incredible athlete and I love her game and love watching her compete. She’s a wonderful person as well. I really think she’s really developed since her time on the junior circuit, so that’s got to give her a lot of confidence going forward and she’s really taken off quickly.”

Sloane Stephens is honored by Austin mayor

Stephens was honored Thursday with the tournament’s “Women’s Catalyst Award,” which is given to a current or former player who is a role model for other players, is an advocate for women’s tennis and who is active in her community.

Stephens has her own foundation which helps expose youth to tennis with the goal of enhancing their quality of life, providing educational opportunities and encouraging healthy lifestyles.

Austin mayor Kirk Watson presented Stephens with a check of $25,000 for the foundation after her doubles match Thursday.

“Tennis has provided me so many opportunities and allowed me to do so many things in my life, so this is a way of introducing the game and helping provide opportunities to others,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Danielle Collins makes quick work of ATX Open opponent to advance