Both Danielle Collins and Sofia Kenin secured singles victories in Group A, positioning the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team for a crucial win-or-go-home showdown against the Czech Republic on Friday at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville. Their triumphs contributed to a decisive 3-0 win over Switzerland on Thursday in the first of two group-stage ties.
Danielle Collins secured victory over Switzerland’s Celine Naef with a scoreline of 7-6(4) 6-1, while Sofia Kenin triumphed against Viktorija Golubic in a hard-fought match, concluding with a score of 6-3 6-7(1) 7-5. Additionally, the American doubles pairing of Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend emerged victorious, defeating Jil Teichmann and Simona Waltert 6-1 7-6(3).
Collins expressed admiration for captain Kathy Rinaldi and shared that her heightened motivation stemmed from the awareness that this tournament marked the captain’s final appearance with the team:
It did go through my head that this is Kathy’s last match, and I want to do my best not just for my teammates but for Kathy in particular because it is her last match. You know, I really just hope that all of us can make this week as memorable as possible for her.
Players have consistently found support in Rinaldi, in all aspects of their lives, as Collins…
