Fourth seed Kenin, contesting her maiden clay-court quarter-final at WTA level, beat fellow American Collins for the first time to set up a meeting with Petra Kvitova.

The Australian Open champion did not have to defend a single break point as she took the opening set, but her opponent belatedly showed some fire to take the match the distance.

Kenin, 21, demonstrated great maturity to counter a renewed push from Collins and reach the last four in Paris.

Collins, who negotiated a tough fourth-round match with Ons Jabeur on Tuesday amid a rain-affected schedule, displayed some rash decision-making in the opening set but produced a backhand winner to deny Kenin on her first break point.

However, in game five the unseeded 26-year-old followed up a pair of unforced errors with a double fault to hand Kenin the lead.

A pair of excellent groundstrokes saw the world number six stave off two break points and Collins reacted by ordering her coach Nicolas Almagro to move, saying: "Sit in a different spot, I'm distracted. Go and sit over there."

Kenin then moved a set and a break up but Collins became increasingly vocal after getting the contest straight back on serve, and a wayward backhand slice from the former forced a decider.

Another double fault to drop serve in the opener of the third quashed the momentum Collins had gained, with Kenin quickly raising her intensity to surge 4-0 up.

Collins took a medical time-out after appearing to struggle with a muscular issue in her midriff and Kenin showed no mercy as she stormed to victory.