"This is such a special moment. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it", Danielle Colins the collegiate icon said after defeating Venus Williams in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. The University of Virginia alma mater knew that her accomplishments at capturing two NCAA singles titles was carving her a good look on her tennis accolades, but wouldn't imagine when she entered the Miami Open what would develop.

Collins is surely a player to be aware of as she gets defeated and then defeats in the case of last year at Indian Wells losing to Monica Puig in the opening round in straight sets and now this year at the 2018 tournament overpowering her and victorious at three hard fought sets.

She's played the ITF circuit giving her the beginnings of a defiant, strong player and later reeived a wild card into the Oracle Challenger Series in Newport Beach, California making it into the final. The Miami Open has held a strong presence with Collins from beginning to end with the support of her team as her coach Pat Harrison had came down many occasions to give her strategic and moral support.

She had the footwork and speed along with the powerful shots to win over many opponents that others couldn't and winning over such players as US Fed Cup winner Coco Vandeweghe, and improving Donna Vekic, a medalist in the 2016 Olympics - Monica Puig and the iconic legendary Venus Williams has prove to the tennis communtiy that there is a new lady on the horizons to watch out and reckon with.

It's her bashing shots and finding the corners or small areas on the ourt that makes her tennis dangerous along with her overall game of defensive and then a blasting offensive play. The semifinal round with the French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, at the Miami Open showed a few gritty playrs vying for a victory.

Collins boldly tried to match the Latvian's strategy but her struggle to handle the deep shots had quite dismantled the NCAA winner's game. Ostapenko may be only 20 years old, but has a lot of tennis on her racket already and has improved by getting consistent victories for the first time in this 2018 season.

"I think now I'm playing more consistent and I'm just happy to be here" she said smilingly but she had felt the 'A' game she needed in playing Collins, she had accomplished by defating her 7-6, 6-3.

The 24 unforced errors might have been a factor also in Collins' downfall to Ostapenko, but she had never won a WTA-level match before at Indian Wells and while she can credit this loss really as a win, for she entered the tournament ranked no.

117 and will go out no. 53, having included her first Top 10 win over someone she's admired for a long time, Venus Williams. Ostapenko still as her hardest task to face in dealing with US Open winner Sloane Stephens in the final, but as for Danielle Collins, a lady that has made her way in tennis form 'pick-up' games from the public courts in Virginia to college tennis and now the WTA, it was all a learning and invigorating experience.

She has explained her goals in proving herself in the WTA as "I'm just starting to put the pieces together" and she emphasizes that no matter win or lose "I just look forward to another incredible opportunity".