Reaching the quarterfinals or later in eight tournaments this season, former Florida women’s tennis player Anna Danilina has consistently put herself in contention for her 13th doubles title. But since winning the Qatar Open on Feb. 14 with partner Aleksandra Krunic, Danilina hasn't been able to clinch another title.
Entering the Italian Open ranked as the No. 8 doubles player on the tour, Danilina was poised to change that.
The Kazakhstan native opened the tournament alongside doubles partner Asia Muhammad, dominating in a match against Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan. The former Gator and Muhammad went 6-4, 1-6, 13-11 to secure a comeback win in the match tiebreak.
In the next round, Danilina and Muhammad continued to prove they can deliver in tight moments. After dropping the first set 3-6, the pair surged to defeat Irina Khromacheva and Giuliana Olmos in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 10-7.
Trouble began in the quarterfinals, when Danilina and Muhammad faced the pair who would go on to become the tournament champions: Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva. Danilina and Muhammad kicked off in dominant fashion, taking the first set 6-4, but the pair struggled as their double fault record grew to four. The pair ultimately fell 3-6, 9-11 in the match tiebreak, ending their Italian Open run.
Leaving Rome without a title, Danilina fed off that energy to boost her performance entering the Internationaux de Strasbourg. The Kazakhstan native and her Russian partner, Ekaterina Alexandrova, have been strong against top opponents.
Danilina and Alexandrova opened with a matchup against Xinyu and Yifan, and for the second tournament in a row, Danilina headlined a defeat of the Chinese duo to advance to the quarterfinals — this time 7-6, 5-7, 10-4.
Their success continued in the next round, as Danilina and Alexandrova defeated the No. 4 tandem of Muhammad and Fanny Stollar, 7-5, 3-6, 10-6. After partnering with Muhammad in the Italian Open, Danilina defeated her in Strasbourg just six days later, further proving her adaptability and depth as a doubles player.
Next, Danilina and Alexandrova prepare to face the No.1-ranked doubles team in the world, Gabriela Drabrowski and Luisa Stefani. Danilina holds a 3-1 record against the duo this season, having lost only the most recent match she played against them.
Danilina and Alexandrova will compete on Friday for a spot in the Strasbourg final. Serve time is still to be announced.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
