Madison Keys explained what makes Danielle Collins so dangerous on the tennis court.
The American duo have enjoyed impressive seasons in which they fought their way back up the WTA rankings.
Collins has won 23 of her last 26 matches and claimed the Miami and Charleston Open titles in that run.
Keys has enjoyed a solid clay court season and won the Strasbourg title in the week leading up to the Roland Garros.
The pair are now aiming for a strong French Open run and are two of the favourites to claim the clay court Grand Slam.
Which shot does Madison Keys think is most effective for Danielle Collins?
Since announcing her plans to retire from tennis at the end of the season, Collins has been in sparkling form. She has produced some ruthless performances as her heavy groundstrokes pummeled opponents into submission.
Her intensity and fierce comparative spirit can also be tough for players to deal with, and Keys, who knows what it is like to face Collins, elaborated on what she brings to the court.
“Her backhand is incredible, I think she has one of the best backhands in the world,” Keys told reporters in her post-match press conference.
“Then I think just I mean just her tenacity and her personality and I think if you’re not ready for it it can be incredibly intimidating.
“I think when she is playing well and she also has the personality that Danielle has I think she just continues to pump herself up more and more, and you can almost see her getting 10 feet tall out on the court.”
What happened when Madison Keys last played Danielle Collins?
Keys and Collins played just their third match against one another in Saturday’s Strasbourg Open final. Both players cruised to the championship match without losing a set and it was expected to be a close encounter.
But it was Keys who completed a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory to win the eighth title of her career and a first on red clay.
“I feel amazing,” Keys said afterwards. “I went into today knowing that I was going to have to play some really good tennis in order to beat Danielle. She’s been playing absolutely incredibly the last couple of months, and she’s always a really tough opponent.
“I went into today thinking, ‘OK, I’m just going to really go for everything that I can, and play some really good tennis,’ and things worked out.”
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