By Scoop Malinowski
Danielle Collins aspired to amazing tennis even when she doubted her ability to even play the pro circuit.
Watch: Collins Continues Magical Run
The fearless and feisty Floridian continued her inspirational charge down under fending off Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, to power into her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open.
Collins arrived in Melbourne without a major main-draw victory to her credit.
Armed with ambition and emotion, she's knocked off 14th-seeded Julia Goerges, 19th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and cracked 13 of her 38 winners in the final set pounding her way past Pavlyuchenkova.
Humility and hunger fuel the driven Collins, who plays with a chip on her shoulder as big as her jolting two-handed backhand.
That's because unlike so many of her peers, Collins wasn't a hot-shot junior groomed for the pro game.
"I think not being a child prodigy, not being a superstar at a young age certainly humbled me, made me in a way work harder for things," Collins said. "I think I was talented and athletic, but maybe not to the level that other players were at, like, 14, 15, 16. It made me kind of have to in some ways I don't want to say work harder, but I was kind of like playing from behind because I wasn't a child prodigy, I went a different route."
Conceding she was once unsure her pro dreams were realistic, Collins credits her personal growth and the polish to her all-court game to years spent at the University of Virgina, where she became just the seventh woman to win two NCAA singles championships.
"I wasn't really sure if I could make it playing professional tennis when I was that age," Collins said. "Going to college was really crucial for me and my development. Yeah, I think it's kind of made me hungrier in some ways, like not having that, Oh, I've always been really amazing at tennis. It wasn't always like that. I wasn't always great or good or whatever."
A year ago, Collins was playing the semifinals of the $125,000 Newport Beach Challenger after falling in the final round of Australian Open qualifying.
Now, Collins is gearing up to play two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova for a spot in the Australian Open final.
Coincidentally, the pair squared off in their first match of the season with Kvitova conquering Collins, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (6), 6-3, in Brisbane.
"She's an incredible champion, has gone through a lot," Collins said of Kvitova. "We had a really great battle a couple weeks ago, one of the best matches I've played. I didn't even win that match. So very familiar with her."
We caught up with the 25-year-old Collins for this Biofile interview.
Status: WTA ranking .
Born: December 13, 1993 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Height: 5-foot-10
First Tennis Memory: "Crawling on the court when my dad (Wally) would play his league matches. (age?) Probably like one or two."
Tennis Inspirations: "Hingis. The Williams sisters. Kournikova. Who else...Wozniacki. Sharapova."
Last Book Read: "Ghosted."
First Famous Player You Met or Encountered: "Justine Henin at Saddlebook (age 10)."
Greatest Career Moment: "Beating Venus Williams (at Miami Open). Pretty cool."
Most Painful Moment: "...painful moment...probably having wrist surgery after I won NCAA my sophomore year."
Current Car: "I drive an Audi Q3 (white)."
Favorite Tournaments: "Indian Wells, Fed Cup and Australian Open."
Funniest Players Encountered: "Madison Brengle for sure...Christian Harrison."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Mint chocolate chip."
Funny Tennis Memory: "There's a lot. We're always laughing out here... that's a good question...probably falling on my face in Wuhan. Bad fall. Really bad fall."
Strangest Match: "Playing Sonia Kenin in a semifinal in Norman, Oklahoma last year. Really windy. And all the referee's chairs were flying around the court. Ridiculous. (Who won?) I did."
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: "Hockey."
Three Athletes You Like To Watch: "Lebron James...I'm just not like a fan person. Alex Killorn from hockey (Tampa Lightning)."
Why Do You Love Tennis: "I love tennis because I think competition makes everyone better. And I love embracing the challenge of competition."
Fiercest Competitors Encountered: "...I think Coco Vandeweghe."
Closest Tennis Friends: "Madison Brengle. Tom Fawcett. Sonia Kenin. Allison Riske. Nicole Melichar. Who else...that's about it."
People Qualities Most Admired: "Enthusiastic. Witty. And honest."
Which Match(es) Were You At Your Best: "There's been a lot of good ones...(Beating Venus?)...I don't feel I actually played my best tennis that match but I was still able to win. I didn't serve well. (Maybe a college match?) ... (Maybe it hasn't happened yet?)...Hasn't happened yet. Good option [smiles]."
Author Scoop Malinowski's latest book Facing Safin, is available on Amazon for $9.99.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve