No. 13 seed Danielle Collins extended her career-best run of consecutive victories to 15 with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Sunday to reach the round of 16 at the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain.
Collins had eight aces and won 76 percent of her first-serve points while keeping her winning streak alive.
Collins dropped the first set before never trailing in the second and dominating in the third. She won the final five games of the match.
“I’ve been doing so well the last couple of weeks, I think the girls know that when they come out and play me, they gotta go for it,” Collins said. “That certainly was taking place the last two matches, some big shots that I’ve had to counter, and be able to react quickly.”
The 30-year-old American began her winning streak with titles in Miami and Charleston. She has reached the final 16 in Madrid for the first time.
Collins will next face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka after the Belarus native had to work for a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory over American Robin Montgomery in two hours and 29 minutes.
The two-time defending Madrid champ had an 8-6 edge in aces against Montgomery, a 19-year-old who put up a fight.
Sabalenka easily won the first set before Montgomery prevailed in a tiebreaker to win the second set. Sabalenka won the first two games and the last two games of the final set.
Russian Mirra Andreeva reached the round of 16 for the second straight year by dispatching No. 7 seed Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1.
Andreeva disposed the reigning Wimbledon champion in just 75 minutes. The triumph was the second Top 10 win of her career with the other coming against Ons Jabeur in the second round of the Australian Open.
Andreeva, who turns 17 on Monday, next faces No. 12 seed Jasmine Paolini after the Italian sailed to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 12 Caroline Garcia of France.
It took Paolina just 63 minutes to beat Garcia.
No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan sailed to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Mayar Sherif of Egypt.
Rybakina won 84.6 percent of her first-serve points and converted all three break points. Sherif saved 10 of 13 break points.
Rybakina next faces Czech Sara Bejlek, who sailed to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ashlyn Krueger.
“I’ve never played against a player like this,” Bejlek said of facing Rybakina, “but I will try my best and we’ll see how it will go tomorrow. But I’m looking forward to that match.”
No. 10 Daria Kasatkina won an all-Russian affair by outlasting No. 20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (5), 7-4.
Kasatkina next faces Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who notched a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Caroline Dolehide.
–Field Level Media
