Russian Import Danilina Brought Her Winning Backhand to Gators
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 | Women's Tennis, Scott Carter
She finished 13-0 in the SEC in singles
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The sound resonates now as it did then for Florida women's tennis coach Roland Thornqvist.
As Thornqvist recalled his first memory of watching Gators sophomore Anna Danilina in person, he flashbacked to her second appearance at the U.S. Open Junior Championships in 2012. A 17-year-old at the time, Danilina wowed Thornqvist with her powerful display.
"Her backhand was a real true Russian backhand,'' Thornqvist said. "Great footwork into it. She was just roping that thing. She hit the ball clean."
Even when Thornqvist strolled away from the court where Danilina was playing, he couldn't escape that backhand.
"You could hear her strokes when you were on an adjacent court,'' he said.
Danilina's powerful shots can now be heard around Linder Stadium as the No. 1-ranked Gators (21-2) prepare to open the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon against South Carolina State. The winner faces the Syracuse-Georgia State winner on Saturday for a berth in the Sweet 16.
In her first season at UF, Danilina has shown why Thornqvist was intrigued by the young Russian talent four years ago at Flushing Meadows. She was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection as she adjusted to her first taste of college tennis.
Danilina owns a 28-6 singles record entering the NCAA Tournament and helped the Gators win the SEC Tournament last month by disposing of LSU's Abigail Owens (6-4, 6-3), Auburn's Paula de Man (6-1, 6-1) and Georgia's Laura Patterson (6-3, 6-2) all in straight sets.
Thornqvist played Danilina in the bottom half of Florida's lineup as she transitioned to her new surroundings and lifestyle after making the move from her home in Moscow last fall. The plan worked. Danilina went 13-0 in SEC singles play and 19-1 in dual-match singles.
The 20-year-old Danilina played in professional tournaments after her junior career. But as she battled an assortment of injuries that sidelined her in 2015 and began to look toward a future outside of tennis, she opted to come to America.
She could get an education and continue to play the sport she started when she was 7, which was not an option if she attended college in Russia. She visited UF in the spring of 2015 and immediately clicked with Thornqvist and assistant head coach Dave Balogh.
"I decided to go to college in April of last year,'' she said. "It was kind of super late. I started talking to different coaches to see what type of opportunities I have. What I really like about it is that Roland and Dave have been here for like 15 years. They know what they are doing for sure."
According to Danilina's activity log on the International Tennis Federation's official website, her only tournament from February 2015 until she enrolled at UF was a first-round exit from an event in Minsk, Belarus in June.
The lack of competition was apparent to Thornqvist when Danilina opened the fall season for the Gators. Danilina took care of lesser opponents, but when tested against a player of equal talent, she sometimes faded.
"From the competitive side, I think she needed to get a little tougher,'' Thornqvist said. "That is one thing she has really improved on over the course of the year. She is better now in close sets and close matches than she was in the fall."
The inactive stretch robbed Danilina of some of the confidence she built as a junior and young professional who has played on every continent except Antarctica. Prior to her professional experience, Danilina played in the junior championships at all four majors (U.S. Open, French Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon).
In the 2012 U.S. Open Junior Championships where Danilina caught Thornqvist's attention, she defeated three Americans on the way to quarterfinals before losing to American Victoria Duval. Thornqvist lost track of Danilina for a while when she turned pro but reconnected on social media when she developed an interest in moving to the U.S. for college.
Danilina considers back-to-back wins in Brazil in March 2012 at the Banana Bowl and Copa Gerdau de Tenis one of her favorite memories in the game. Once she got back on the court at UF, she soon regained her form, which features a powerful two-handed backhand that always perks up Thornqvist's ears.
"I feel like I have more confidence,'' she said. "I had a break from tennis and I kind of lost it, that ability to compete on the court. I needed some time to get used to it again. I feel like that was the main thing for me.
"It's great to be part of this kind of team. I'm looking forward to NCAAs."
An only child, Danilina's parents remain in Russia. She inherited some of her athleticism from them. Her father is a former volleyball player and her mom used to be a talented skier. Once Florida finishes the season, Danilina is looking forward to returning to Moscow to reconnect with her parents.
Thornqvist knows the feeling. He came to America from Sweden more than 25 years ago to play college tennis at North Carolina.
"This is really a good learning year for her,'' he said. "She's been great. We talked in the fall and made sure she understands this year is going to be some ups and downs. Her bad days became less bad. That's why she is winning consistently for us.
"You're really going to see her tennis game next year."
Hear it, too.
Players Mentioned
