Tennis fans reacted positively to Danielle Collins’ gesture after reaching the Italian Open semi-finals.
The American was bidding to reach the last four in Rome for the first time in her career and she did so in emphatic fashion.
The 30-year-old recovered from a slow start to claim a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Victoria Azarenka and set up a match with fellow Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, just weeks after their Madrid Open showdown.
Once again Collins’ fiery on-court personality was on show as she battled not only a terrific opponent but also sections of the crowd on centre court, which appeared to contribute to her actions post-match.
Danielle Collins’ post-match reaction delights fans
Collins claimed victory over Azarenka when an attempted drop shot found its way into the net on match point after one hour and 44 minutes of play.
The 13th seed then blew an extravagant kiss to the crowd before walking to the net to shake with her opponent.
Her actions may be in reference to a fan who made a remark after she had missed her first serve and at the start of the second set, another spectator began whistling after she committed an unforced error.
But the fans on social media loved her response as X user @egrrrrl8446 said: “Unapologetically herself, always! So refreshing. What an incredible year to go out on!
@FANtiumOfficial wrote: “Danielle Collins is living her best life on the court! Full of confidence and charisma.” Furthermore, @IsabellaBodnar posted: “Such a badass. Can’t wait to see her face off against Sabalenka.”
How is Danielle Collins approaching her match with Aryna Sabalenka?
After defeating Azarenka, Collins secured a rematch with Sabalenka almost three weeks after their Madrid Open clash.
The Belarusian overturned a one-set deficit to claim victory in the Spanish capital and bring the World Number 15’s 15-match winning run to an end.
Now she has another chance to face the Australian Open champion so soon after their last encounter, Collins is going to bring all her firepower to the court in Thursday’s semi-final.
“I can’t give too many secrets away,” she told Tennis Channel. “We’ve always had good matches, and it’s always a few points here and there, especially when it comes down to these tight three-setters.
“But she’s been playing really well and is one of the best players in the world, so I’m going to bring the heat.”
Should Collins triumph, it will be her first victory over Sabalenka in addition to a maiden appearance in the Italian Open final.
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