Cavaliers Danielle Collins and Thai-son Kwiatkowski advance to ACI finals

Danielle Collins and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski will play in the finals of the American Collegiate Invitational Saturday after each posted straight set victories in the semifinals of their respective events.

Collins posted her second straight dominating victory of the tournament, easily dispatching Texas graduate Breaunna Addison 6-2, 6-2 in 71 minutes. Collins was particularly strong with her second serve, winning a whopping 75% of those points. Collins graduated from U.Va in May after winning her second NCAA singles title. In the finals, she will face Michigan graduate Ronit Yurovsky, who defeated Collins’ former teammate Julia Elbaba in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Yurovsky and Collins have previously faced each other twice in their NCAA careers, with Collins winning both matches.

On the men’s side, Kwiatkowski cruised by Stanford junior Tom Fawcett in 53 minutes, 6-2, 6-0. Kwiatkowski converted 6 of 7 break point opportunities in the match. Kwiatkowski will take on recent Georgia graduate Austin Smith in the final. Smith defeated Virginia graduate Ryan Shane in the other semifinal, 7-6(1), 6-4. Shane struggled with his serve yet again, recording 13 double faults against Smith.

Kwiatkowski is the lone finalist that is eligible to play college tennis this upcoming season, and is the most likely candidate to succeed Ryan Shane in the #1 spot in the Virginia lineup. The winners of the ACI are guaranteed entry to the 2017 US Open in either the qualifying or main draws, depending on their ranking next year.