By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, Could 10, 2025
Photograph credit score: Credit score One Charleston Open Fb
When Danielle Collins’ first serve strays, she typically dials up reminiscences of her tennis hero to subdue stress.
Collins served solely 47 % at present but demolished Iga Swiatek’s second serve dethroning the defending chamption 6-1, 7-5 to succeed in the Rome spherical of 16.
Afterward, Collins shared her supply of energy when her first serve flies: 2008 Olympic gold-medal champion Elena Dementieva.
Regardless of an nearly side-arm slice serve that typically abandoned her, Dementieva was a significant power reaching a few Grand Slam finals, rising to a career-high rating of No. 3 and capturing 16 profession titles.
Former AO finalist Collins credited her tennis hero, Dementieva, with inspiring her to maintain preventing when her first serve is not touchdown.
“Rising up, I watched numerous Elena Dementieva. Elena Dementieva made a profession for herself not making many first serves,” Collins informed the media in Rome after gorgeous Swiatek for her third profession Prime-2 triumph. “That was a very robust shot for her. She had so many different particular elements of her sport that made her the participant she was. She was athletic.
“Typically when I’ve a foul serving day I take into consideration Elena Dementieva and the entire issues she was capable of obtain even when the serve or first serve wasn’t working properly for her.”
Recalling the Russian’s resourcefulness helped gasoline Collins relentlessness at present.
“It simply reveals you you may have one space of your sport not be efficient in the future, however in case you have different expertise and expertise, you may apply that and actually obtain some nice issues,” Collins mentioned. “She’s inspiring to me at instances.”
