Danielle Collins beats Emma Raducanu to reach quarter-finals in Strasbourg

STRASBOURG: Danielle Collins edged past Emma Raducanu 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the Internationaux de Strasbourg here at the Tennis Club de Strasbourg on Wednesday to qualify for the quarter-finals.

The American got off to a shaky start and dropped the first set, but forced an astounding comeback, winning the next two sets to clinch a hard-fought victory.

Reflecting on the match, Collins said that it was more rewarding to come through a tough battle.

She further shared that sometimes wins come because the opponent did not play well, so it feels better to earn a victory in a closely contested match.

“I think it’s more rewarding when you win a tough match versus one that was easy,” Collins said.

“A lot of times when you win easy, it’s just about how bad the other player played, right? So, it’s better if it can be a little bit close to come out with these wins.”

She also claimed to be aware of the need to approach the game aggressively before appreciating her opponent, saying that she played well and gave her a lot of challenges, but the American stayed positive.

“I knew playing Emma, I would have to play my aggressive game style,” she said,

“And the more that I did that, I think I was able to kind of stay in control of the points and really push her. She played really well and gave me some challenges but I just kept going after it.”

Collins, ranked No. 46, will face either compatriot Jessica Pegula or Russia's Anna Kalinskaya next.