Connect with us

CELEBRITY

Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya stuns Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff on remarkable route to Dubai Tennis Championships final

Published

on

It has been a remarkable week for Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, who began it having just qualified for the Dubai Tennis Championships and ended it playing in the tournament’s final after defeating world No. 1 Iga Świątek and US Open champion Coco Gauff along the way.

By stunning Świątek 6-4 6-4 in the semifinal on Friday, Kalinskaya became just the second-ever qualifier to reach a WTA 1000 final, and the second player to inflict defeat upon the Polish star in her last 26 matches.

But she succumbed to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 4-6 7-5 7-5 in Saturday’s final, the match slipping away after she had served for the title while a break up and leading 5-4 in the deciding set.

“(Świątek’s) a great player. I know if I don’t stay calm and aggressive she’s going to destroy me,” Kalinskaya, the world No. 40, said after her semifinal victory, according to Reuters.

“That was my plan. To stay aggressive, move her a lot. I’m happy I won. She’s unbelievable. I’m happy I had the chance to play against her. I’m sure we’ll play a lot in the future.”

At first, it seemed that Świątek had the upper hand, as she went a break up and edged 4-2 ahead in the first set but Kalinskaya rallied and completed two consecutive breaks to take the lead.

The 25-year-old raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set, but wobbled after Świątek saved two match points and mounted a comeback to come within touching distance of leveling the second set.

Świątek, however, failed to convert a break point to make it 5-5 and Kalinskaya served out the set to take the win.

She had already defeated world No. 3 Coco Gauff 2-6 6-4 6-2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals for another upset victory, making her form all the more impressive.

Her run at the Dubai Tennis Championships backs up her breakthrough performance at the Australian Open in which she reached the quarterfinals, despite starting the season ranked world No. 80.

That propelled her up the rankings, and she will now rise into the top 30 for a new career-high ranking after her impressive performances in Dubai.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NFL5 hours ago

The Prince and Princess of Wales enjoy secret Caribbean holiday during the BAFTAs – report

NFL2 days ago

Revealed: Lily Allen’s husband David Harbour, 49, has a new model girlfriend 22 years his junior – as friends reveal ‘very upset’ singer is convinced the relationship started before marriage broke down

NFL2 days ago

Prosecution Team in A$AP Rocky’s Assault Trial Take Issue with Rapper and Rihanna for Bringing Their Kids to Court

NFL2 days ago

Jeremy Clarkson goes on furious ‘cancel culture’ rant as he defends under-fire stars Gino D’Acampo, Wynne Evans and Gregg Wallace

NFL2 days ago

Valentine’s Day date? Tom Cruise, 62, and Ana de Armas, 36, are all smiles as they are mobbed by fans during night out in London together

NFL2 days ago

Princess Kate’s major personal change after meeting Prince William

NFL2 days ago

The Prince and Princess of Wales just shared the cutest PDA photo for Valentine’s Day

NFL2 days ago

Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, & Kate Middleton Had a “Temporary Truce,” Which Fully Devolved

NFL2 days ago

Palace releases emotional statement after Prince William, Kate Middleton’s latest stunt

NFL2 days ago

Princess Kate and Prince William make major change to social media strategy with latest move

NFL2 days ago

On Valentine’s Day, Kate Middleton and Prince William share a rare PDA moment on Instagram

NFL2 days ago

Kate Middleton and Prince William Share Rare Moment of PDA In Celebration of Valentine’s Day

Copyright © 2024 USAlery