Dolehide dispatches Collins in her final US Open appearance

Dolehide defeats Collins 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 to reach maiden 2nd round at home slam

This may be Danielle Collins’ final season on the WTA tour but that has not impeded the Florida native from accruing precious hardware. The thirty-year-old defeated world #4 Elena Rybakina in the final of the WTA 1000 event in Miami and followed that with a final victory over world #11 Daria Kastakina on the dirt at the WTA 500 event in Charleston.

Collins did not compete in DC, Cincinnati, or Montreal during the summer hardcourt swing. With just one hardcourt match following the Paris Olympics, Collins needed to be sharp against her compatriot, Caroline Dolehide.

Dolehide from Hinsdale, Illinois is five years younger. She achieved a career-high rank of #41 in October 2023 and is currently ranked #49. In her fifth main draw appearance, she sought to progress to the second round.

(Image: Getty)

Her most impressive result was a final appearance last fall at the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara (l. Sakkari). Three weeks ago, at the Citi Open in DC, she defeated Kasatkina and Amanda Anisimova before losing in the semis to eventual champion, Paula Badosa.

Collins led the head-to-head 5-1 including a retirement from Dolehide in 2016. They last played on the dirt at Roland Garros this past spring where Collins prevailed in straights.

Collins ranked and seeded 11th,  won the toss and chose to serve. With three formidable forehand winners, she held easily to 15 while Dolehide faced a triple break point and dumped serve despite making 3/4 first serves.

Collins struck five winners but with two double faults, faced three deuce and break point yet managed to consolidate the break. Dolehide hit a fantastic inside-in forehand to save break point and got on the board when Collins mishit a crosscourt backhand.

Collins faced 0-30 then break point but held for 4-1 with a monster serve up the tee and an acutely angled crosscourt forehand. Dolehide made 6/8 first serves but faced a break point following a double fault. She saved the first but dropped serve when she overcooked a makeable forehand. Collins was clinical as she crushed three consecutive forehand winners to secure the set 6-1.

Dolehide served first in the second and though she opened with a double fault, held to 30 with a well-struck crosscourt forehand. Collins led 30-0 in her opening service game but following two unforced errors including another double fault, faced break point, and dumped serve.

Dolehide gifted three unforced errors including her third double fault and gave back the break when Collins pummeled a forehand crosscourt. The 11th seed seemed to unravel as uncharacteristic errors flew off her racquet. Despite four additional double faults, nine deuces, five break points, and sixteen-plus minutes, she unloaded two aces, the last to level at 2-2! 

Dolehide, not surprisingly, was a bit discouraged and gifted four unforced errors, the last a double fault to concede the game. Collins, however, failed to consolidate, giving back the break with a netted forehand. The 2024 Miami Open champion proceeded to berate herself and smash her racquet on the court.

Dolehide opened the seventh with two consecutive forehand winners and though she faced two deuce and break point, held for 4-3 when her opponent mistimed the backhand return.

Collins opened the eighth with an ace out wide and her eighth double fault yet held to 15 with an extraordinary forehand down the line. Dolehide receiving constant encouragement and direction from her coach, made 7/8 first serves and held for 5-4 when Collins netted a makeable overhead.

Collins’ serve was still missing as she opened the tenth with her ninth double fault. Serving to stay in the set, she faced triple set point but with unwavering belief and three remarkable winners including two at net, leveled at five.

Dolehide made 3/6 first serves and held for 6-5 when Collins netted a backhand. The 2022 Australian Open finalist was serving to force the breaker. She gifted two consecutive groundstroke errors and with two more faced double set point and conceded it.

Following the conclusion of the second set, both left the court. Dolehide served first in the decider and with an ace up the tee, held to 15 and Collins did the same despite donating her tenth double fault.

Dolehide made 4/6 first serves and held to 30 for 2-1 while Collins struck three consecutive backhand winners and held at love to level. Dolehide gifted two forehand errors and faced two deuce points and a break point but managed to hold following two consecutive mishit forehands from her opponent.

Collins made 3/5 first serves and held easily to 15 for 3-3 while Dolehide serving with new balls, held at love for 4-3. Collins opened the 8th with an ace but with three additional errors including another double fault, faced double break point, and dropped serve. Collins melting down could not stem the bleeding.

Dolehide served for the match up 5-3. She reached double match point but could not cross the finish line as she threw in another double fault. Collins amped up the pace, creating two break point opportunities, and converted when she ripped the forehand return inside-in.

The Louis Armstrong crowd was stunned and all in as they hoped the set would be decided by a ten-point tiebreak. Collins stepped to the line seemingly with the momentum on her side but it was not to be; with four unforced errors, she conceded the game, set and match.

She was gracious to her opponent but refused to partake in an on-court celebration of her storied career and final grand slam match in NY. She quickly grabbed her bag and left the court allowing Dolehide her moment.

Dolehide remained patient and used the slice backhand to extract errors from Collins. She has reached the second round at the US Open for the first time in five attempts.

She finished with two aces, and five double faults and won 60% of first and 42% of second serve points. She saved 7/12 break points while converting just 5/18. Although she hit one less winner than unforced errors (18/19) she was efficient. Collins hit 30 more winners but donated 47 errors!

It was an incredibly assured performance given Collins’ level in the opening set. She kept it close, limited the unforced errors, and was bold when it mattered.