The following press release was provided by the International Tennis Hall Of Fame.
2019 Australian Open semifinalist Danielle Collins and Amanda Anisimova, who, at world No. 54 and 17 years of age, is the youngest player ranked inside in the WTA world top-100, will compete in a women’s exhibition match at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Friday, July 19. The two rising stars on the women’s professional tennis tour will be joined by two tennis legends who will be announced in the coming weeks for a special showcase of talent from tennis’ past and present.
The match is set to take place late Friday afternoon, following that day’s quarterfinal matches of the Hall of Fame Open, an ATP Tour event. Tickets for the event are on sale now at HallofFameOpen.com, and include access to that day’s Hall of Fame Open matches as well.
“Danielle Collins and Amanda Anisimova are two of the most exciting rising stars to the WTA Tour recently, and I know they will put on a great match for our fans. With two WTA legends set to be on court also, this year’s match will have a special added twist by bringing together those who made tennis history and those who are currently striving to do so,” stated International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin.
He added, “We are thrilled to bring women’s pro tennis back to the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the second year in a row. We were glad to see how much the fans enjoyed this special event last year and are committed to making it a tradition during our annual Hall of Fame Weekend.”
This will be the first trip to the International Tennis Hall of Fame for both Collins and Anisimova, who have never played each other in WTA competition, but have played doubles together occasionally.
Danielle Collins burst on the WTA Tour last spring, following a remarkable collegiate tennis career for the University of Virginia, where she won the 2014 and 2016 NCAA titles. At the 2018 Miami Open, Collins made her way through the qualifying rounds and then defeated two-time major semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe and Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Puig en route to a quarterfinal stunner where she upset then world No. 8 Venus Williams. In doing so, Collins became the only qualifier ever to reach the semifinals at the Miami Open. She has continued a steady climb ever since, with her most notable results coming at this year’s Australian Open where she was a semifinalist, after running through the draw with upsets over No. 19 seed Caroline Garcia and No. 2 seed and three-time major champion Angelique Kerber. Also this year, Collins made her debut for the U.S. Fed Cup team, and won her singles match.
At a current career-high of world No. 54, 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova is the youngest player ranked inside the top 100 on the WTA Tour. Just last month, Anisimova won her first WTA title, with a victory at Copa Colsanitas in Bogota. Anisimova also had a deep run at the 2019 Australian Open, making it to the Fourth Round, and defeating world No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka, who was a title favorite at the event. Anisimova, who turned pro at age 15, had an extraordinary junior career, where she reached the world No. 2 ranking and was the 2017 US Open Junior Champion.
The special women’s exhibition match is becoming somewhat of a new tradition during the Hall of Fame’s annual men’s pro tennis tournament. While the historic grass courts in Newport have had an extensive history in hosting women’s professional tennis during their 130+ year history, since 1990, the site has only a men’s professional tournament. Last summer, WTA stars Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens played an exhibition match during the Hall of Fame Open, which was the first time that current WTA stars had competed in Newport in 25+ years.
The 2019 Women’s Exhibition Match will be hosted on Friday, July 19. It will follow the quarterfinal matches of the Hall of Fame Open, and is scheduled for Not Before 4 pm. Tickets for the match include access to the Hall of Fame Open and the Exhibition Match. Tickets are on sale now at www.HallofFameOpen.com