Riske reaches UTR Pro Match Series final, to face the winner of the rain-delayed match between Tomljanovic and Collins

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On Day 2 of the UTR Pro Match Series held on a private tennis court in West Palm Beach, Alison Riske made herself the most successful player at the tournament so far, Amanda Anisimova chalked up her first win of the weekend, while the match between Danielle Collins and Ajla Tomljanovic was cut short by Florida thunderstorms.

Alison Riske
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MAY 23: Alison Riske of the United States waits on a serve from Danielle Collins of the United States during the UTR Pro Match Series Day 2 on May 23, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Even without the cheers of the crowds, the competition was fierce at this first professional women’s tennis event broadcast internationally since the global coronavirus shutdown. World No.19 Alison Riske (UTR 13.19) moved to 2-1 in round-robin play with a 4-1 1-4 4-1 victory over fellow American Danielle Collins (UTR 13.07), followed by 2019 French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova’s (UTR 13.04) comeback win over Ajla Tomljanovic (UTR 12.85).

Danielle Collins
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MAY 23: Danielle Collins of the United States reacts during her match against Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia during the UTR Pro Match Series Day 2 on May 23, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The 29-year-old Riske secured her spot in Sunday’s championship, while the second finalist will be determined when the rain-affected encounter between Tomljanovic and Collins completes. When the match was suspended, Tomljanovic and Collins had each won a set by virtue of a tiebreaker. They will resume play before the finals and 3rd/4th rounds on Sunday.

Ajla Tomljanovic
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MAY 23: Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia returns a shot to Amanda Anisimova of the United States during the UTR Pro Match Series Day 2 on May 23, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The UTR Pro Match Series Women’s Event broadcast continues live on Tennis Channel beginning one hour early at 11 AM ET Sunday, May 24th for Collins and Tomljanovic to play the third set of their match. This will be followed by the 3rd/4th playoff where Anisimova will face the loser of Collins/Tomljanovic, followed by the finals where Riske will face the winner of the earlier match. The format of the 3rd/4th playoff will be a 2 out of 3 Fast 4 sets; the format of the finals will be 2 full sets plus a tiebreak.

DAY 2 STANDINGS

Alison Riske 2-1 (d. Collins)
Danielle Collins 1-1
Ajla Tomljanovic 1-1
Amanda Anisimova 1-2 (d. Tomljanovic)

UTR Pro Match Series
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MAY 23: UTR cleaning staff sanitize the net between matches during the UTR Pro Match Series Day 2 on May 23, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Every UTR Pro Match Series event follows enhanced safety precautions, implementing strict screening, cleaning and social distancing measures for players, officials and staff. There are no spectators, no handshakes and no ballkids. The court and facility are professionally disinfected before and after play. Each player provides their own set of marked balls for use during the match. Players provide their own drinks and towels, and each have their own separate tented area off the court.

The results of this tournament count globally via the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). Anyone in the world can create a match, play, and post their score. To kick off the new platform, anyone who registers for UTR MatchPlay now through June 5th will be eligible to win a free one-week trip to train at the world-renowned IMG Academy for themselves and their UTR MatchPlay opponent.

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