WTA Austin 2023: Collins vs McNally Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 WTA Austin Open as Danielle Collins takes on Caty McNally in the second round on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

We have an all-American clash that promises plenty of entertainment and intrigue as Danielle Collins looks to reach her second quarterfinal of 2023 at WTA Austin Open. Will the fourth seed overcome an in-form Caty McNally?

Danielle Collins eked out a hard-fought win over Magdalena Frech in the first round, coming from a set down to defeat the Pole 6-7 6-2 6-4 in two and half hours. Collins lost the bulk of her points earned in 2022 in the opening month of the season when she lost in the third round of the Australian Open. And this topsy-turvy win over Frech is an indication that the American hasn’t managed to retain the form that took her to the world’s top 10 last season.

This is Caty McNally’s fourth tournament of the season and already she has managed to tally five wins. Last week she reached the semifinals in Merida and succumbed to defeat at the hands of Rebecca Peterson despite leading 4-0 in the final set. McNally has since addressed that dismal collapse with a good win over rising star Ashlyn Krueger. Victory over Danielle Collins at the WTA Austin Open will be just her second top-50 win of the season if she can manage to overstage the world No. 38.

Danielle Collins and Caty McNally have not played each other on the WTA Tour. Thursday’s match at the WTA Austin Open will be their first official meeting. By Collins’ lofty standards, this has not been a great start to the year and that battling win over Frech only adds to the struggles. McNally might not match her compatriot in rally tolerance, but her variation should give Collins a lot of thinking to do here. We are not confident that the World No. 38 is past her recent slump and McNally will sense the opportunity and relish facing a wounded Collins.