American tennis player Danielle Collins is returning to her home state of Florida, after signing with the Orlando Storm for the World TeamTennis 2020 season.
BREAKING NEWS ‼️‼️ American star Danielle Collins is returning to her home state!! Come out to Lake Nona this July to see the St. Petersburg native 🎾🎾 Welcome to the team Danielle, we are excited to see you on court! ⛈⛈#AStormIsComing #WTT2020 #WTTFamily #tennis pic.twitter.com/jyxxbHF6IB
— ORLANDO STORM (@OrlandoStormWTT) March 23, 2020
The St. Petersburg native was a breakout star of the 2019 Australian Open, reaching the semifinals in her first main-draw appearance in Melbourne. Collins came up through the Florida junior tennis system and was a multiple winner during her years competing at the USTA Florida “Bobby Curtis” Junior State Championships, along with collecting two NCAA singles individual championship titles.
Collins joins the Orlando Storm to compete in the team’s second WTT season. Last year, the Storm became the first Florida team in World TeamTennis since the Florida Twist played their last season in 1995.
In their debut season the Storm were hot out of the gate with victories over the fellow-expansion-team Vegas Rollers, and then the veteran Orange County Breakers. After the 2-0 start, the Storm dropped six matches in a row before recovering to end the losing streak with a 21-18 win over the Washington Kastles, a team that won five straight league titles in 2011-15. In its next match, the Storm defeated the Springfield Lasers, last year’s league champion, who would go on to qualify for the WTT semifinals, 23-15. The Storm dropped its final four matches to end the season with a 4-10 record.
The WTT regular-season calendar will showcase nine teams and 63 matches over 19 consecutive days from July 12-30.
2020 Orlando Storm Schedule:
Sunday, July 12 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms
Monday, July 13 at Washington Kastles
Wednesday, July 15 vs. Vegas rollers
Saturday, July 18 at N.Y. Empire
Sunday, July 19 vs. Orange County Breakers
Tuesday, July 21 vs. Chicago Smash
Wednesday, July 22 at Philadelphia Freedoms
Thursday, July 23 vs. N.Y. Empire
Friday, July 24 at Philadelphia Freedoms
Saturday, July 25 at Chicago Smash
Sunday, July 26 at Springfield Lasers
Tuesday, July 28 vs. Chicago Smash
Wednesday, July 29 vs. Washington Kastles
Thursday, July 30 at Washington Kastles
For more info on the Orlando Storm go to orlandostorm.com, and for WTT league info go to wtt.com.
