Combative American Danielle Collins will be hoping to draw on some positive muscle memory as she looks to rediscover the form that saw her lift last year’s Miami crown.
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Miami Open
Miami Gardens, Florida (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 64 Matches- 20th March
Danielle Collins (14) 0.52 vs Sorana Cirstea 1.48
Combative American Danielle Collins will be hoping to draw on some positive muscle memory as she looks to rediscover the form that saw her lift last year’s Miami crown. Collins was in
scintillating form this time last year, winning back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston (she ultimately decided to reverse her retirement plans at the end of the season). But she hasn’t been anywhere near that level this year, bringing a lukewarm 3-3 record into these championships. She did manage to ruffle a few feathers in Melbourne, cheekily goading the crowd as she downed hometown hopeful Destanee Aiava. She took some time off after her 3rd round Aussie Open defeat, returning to action with an early exit at Indian Wells (she was soundly beaten by Elina Svitolina). Affectionally known as ‘Danimal’, Collins plays a brand of high-octane, first-strike tennis that can yield inconsistent results. Still, she should feel comfortable returning to the site of her greatest tennis triumph.
Romanian Sorana Cirstea endured an awful start to her 2025 campaign, going 1-4 in her first five events. But she started to regain her composure after that, reaching back-to-back quarterfinals in Dubai and Austin. She picked up some impressive scalps over the course of those events, beating the likes of Navarro, Kasatkina and Shnaider in the process. She even impressed in defeat at Indian Wells, going down in a tight three-set struggle with Emma Navarro. Cirstea wasn’t at her fluid best in her Miami Opener, taking down Italian clay-court specialist Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 7-6. The hard-hitting Romanian has some real pedigree in this event, reaching the semifinals back in 2023. She reached the 4th round last year despite general poor form. She- like Collins- is a risk-reward type player who isn’t going to die wondering. She just needs to keep those pesky unforced errors in check if she wishes to dispose the reigning champ.
The Verdict: Collins to win in three sets at 3.2- Collins leads the head-to-head 2-0, conquering Cirstea in the 4th round of last year’s Miami Open. However, Collins hasn’t beaten a top 50 player since overcoming Beatriz Haddad Mami at last year’s Wimbledon Championships. So, Cirstea is probably in better form coming into this match. I do think that Collins will find a way to elevate her performance in font of this rambunctious home crowd. I expect this to be an error-riddled affair, with Collins emerging victorious in three.
