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Jelena Ostapenko showed respect for Danielle Collins following their Abu Dhabi match as she called the American "a great player" and noted she had to work extremely hard to clinch a win over the American. In the Abu Dhabi first round, Ostapenko edged out Collins in a thriller 7-5 1-6 7-5.
Now, Ostapenko owns a 2-0 head-to-head against Collins. In 2018 Miami, Ostapenko beat Collins in straight sets. "Danielle is a great player, and it's always a tough match against her because she plays really well and she's such a fighter.
The match is never over until we shake hands. I'm really glad that, even though in some games I didn't play my best, I was fighting and I managed to win the match. These kinds of matches give confidence," Ostapenko said after beating Collins, per the WTA website.
Ostapenko edged out Collins in three sets
Ostapenko saved a break point in the third game of the first set but also missed out on two consecutive break points in the sixth game. After blowing two consecutive break points, Ostapenko dropped her serve in the seventh game of the first set.
Down 5-3 in the first set, Ostapenko responded in some style as she earned back-to-back breaks and won the next four games to steal the opener from Collins. But after winning the first set in such a way, Ostapenko's level dropped at the start of the second set as Collins opened a comfortable 4-0 lead.
In the seventh game - when Ostapenko was serving to stay in the second set - the Latvian was again broken as Collins forced a third set. After easily losing the second set, Ostapenko claimed the first break of the third set in the third game.
Ostapenko got broken back in the eighth game but she broke Collins again in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead. In the 12th game, Ostapenko realized her first match point to complete a tight three-set win against Collins.