We take a look at selected fixtures from the WTA Tour’s Mexican Open taking place at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess.
Danielle Collins 19/20 | Victoria Azarenka 15/20
The last year of Danielle Collins’ career is one of the strangest trajectories that one could hope to see. The 25-year-old American has generally struggled, with a few remarkable results distorting her pedigree to some degree. That started with an unheralded run to the semi-final of last year’s event in Miami- which is clearly appealing in relation to these outdoor hardcourts. But Collins never really built on that result in a meaningful way; a semi-final showing at a weak Silicon Valley Classic event was her only other result of real note during 2018. She reminds me of compatriot Coco Vandeweghe in her almost pathological inconsistency. But then she went and performed miracles in Melbourne. She beat the likes of Angelique Kerber and Caroline Garcia in a glorious run to the semi-final. This will actually be her first match since that stunning performance in Australia.
It’s time to move from one story of Aussie success to another. Two-time Aussie Open Champion Victoria Azarenka has really experienced a hellish few years on court and off. Her troubles with injury started back in 2014 and have experienced various different iterations. She then gave birth in 2016, but that ultimately led to a protracted custody battle, further disrupting her attempts to reinvigorate her career. It was ironically enough a semi-final run in Miami- like Collins- that proved the highlight of her 2018 season. A quarter-final at the Pan Pacific Open showed some form, but once again all the off-court drama seemed to engulf her. And her 2019 form has been similarly poor, with an opening round loss at Melbourne resulting in a tear-drenched post-match press conference.
This will be their second ever meeting. They met in last year’s Silicon Valley Classic, with Azarenka having to withdraw despite holding a one set lead. I truly think that Azarenka has it in her to return to the upper echelons of the women’s game. Just look at the recent revival of Petra Kvitova. Going even further back, women’s tennis has oft seen remarkable returns to form- just look at the cases of Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati. This could be the start of one such revival.
Daria Gavrilova 6/10 | Mihaela Buznarescu 23/20
Daria Gavrilova is an immensely talented player whose results have perhaps not reflected her ability. The Russian born Gavrilova immigrated to Australia back in 2015. She won the Connecticut Open back in 2017 and perhaps never delivered on that potential last season. She had several nearly results in big events. She reached the final 32 of the Sunshine Double and also reached that stage at Wimbledon and the French Open. Her best result of the year actually came in this very event: she managed to go all the way to the semi-final stage here. But she tended to tread water for the most part last year. But her form this season has been disastrous. She has lost four in a row this season and will be glad to be back in Mexico.
What a difference a year has made for Romanian Buznarescu. She really enjoyed an inspired 2018, seeing her skyrocket to a career-high ranking of 20. She reached the Prague final prior to semi-final run in Strasbourg. She also reached the final 16 of Roland Garros prior to a golden grass-court run. She then plundered the slightly lower reaches of the women’s game towards the end of the season. Playing the part of flat-track bully, she reached the semi-final in Bucharest prior to claiming her maiden title at the Silicon Valley Classic. All in all, it represented a terrific season for the Romanian. But something has happened. She has lost her last eight consecutive matches. That kind of run is hard to ignore. Her confidence must be somewhat shattered heading into this event.
This will be their first-ever meeting. Both are in horrendous form and this could prove a little watershed moment for both favourites. I’m erring on the side of Gavrilova. She reached the semi-final stage here last season while Buzarescu’s run of defeats in more extensive. It should prove a fascinating match for two players attempting to regain relevance on tour.
