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Match details
Fixture: (7) Danielle Collins vs Sloane Stephens
Date: 5 August 2021
Tournament: Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: San Jose, United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $565,530
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 2 am GMT, 7.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Danielle Collins vs Sloane Stephens preview
Danielle Collins takes on Sloane Stephens in an all-American clash at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2021 on Thursday, with a quarterfinal berth up for grabs.
Fresh off winning her maiden WTA title on the claycourts of Palermo, the 36th-ranked Collins will look to continue her momentum on hardcourt. It has been a pretty consistent season for the American so far; she has reached at least the quarterfinals in six of the 10 events she has played, accumulating a 23-9 win-loss record.
The change of surface hasn't disrupted Collins, who started her campaign at San Jose on Wednesday with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 win over Shelby Rogers.
Up next for her is former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who has been showing signs of resurgence after a long period of struggle. Stephens' start to the year wasn't particularly great but she has been slowly gaining in confidence since the start of the clay swing.
A quarterfinal at Charleston and a semifinal at Parma were followed by a run to the fourth round at Roland Garros and the Round of 32 at Wimbledon. With her ranking now up to 67th, the former World No. 3 will be keen to register a few wins on American hardcourts and get back into the top 50.
Stephens opened her San Jose campaign with the same determination and poise she has shown in recent months, blowing away Catherine McNally 6-4, 6-2.
Danielle Collins vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Danielle Collins and Sloane Stephens have never crossed paths on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Danielle Collins vs Sloane Stephens prediction
Sloane Stephens' game is well-suited to these courts. She is one of the quickest movers on the tour and has the consistency and power to come out on top in long rallies.
However, Stephens also has a tendency to get passive or leak too many unforced errors when put under pressure. If there is a recurrence of that on Thursday, the match will automatically tilt towards Danielle Collins.
Collins is a strong counterpuncher who likes to go after her forehand. The 27-year-old can also come forward and finish points at the net whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Having had a consistent season so far, Collins will arrive into this match with a lot of confidence. In particular, she will look to exploit the Stephens serve with her powerful forehand returns.
However, Collins herself needs to serve well if she wants to maintain the upper hand in this contest. That is one area where she has a lot of work to do; against Rogers in the first round, the 27-year-old served five aces but also committed a whopping nine double faults.
If she cuts down on her double faults and remains aggressive, Collins should be expected to come away with the spoils in this one.
Prediction: Danielle Collins to win in three sets.
