In the Washington Open semi-finals, Emma Raducanu of Great Britain was defeated by Anna Kalinskaya of Russia with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
The 22-year-old, whose performance in the United States guarantees her return to the British number one ranking, surpassing Katie Boulter, began strongly with five aces. However, she failed to capitalize on any of her four break point opportunities.
Kalinskaya, positioned at 48th in the world rankings, just two spots below Raducanu, took advantage by securing a break in the ninth game, ultimately winning the first set.
Both players traded early breaks in the second set before the 26-year-old Russian gained the upper hand. She extended her lead, ultimately breaking again to secure the match victory.
“It was a captivating match. I enjoy playing against Emma,” Kalinskaya stated, as she seeks her first WTA 500 title. “I am pleased with my performance. I maintained an aggressive approach and adhered to my strategy.”
Kalinskaya is set to compete against Leylah Fernandez in Sunday’s final. The Canadian player narrowly defeated third-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in a thrilling match featuring three tie-breaks.
Fernandez, whom Raducanu defeated to claim her US Open title in 2021, emerged victorious with a score of 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3) after a grueling three hours and 12 minutes.
In the men’s competition, Alex de Minaur of Australia clinched a 6-4, 6-3 semi-final victory over Corentin Moutet, a lucky loser from France.
De Minaur is scheduled to face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the final. The 12th seed triumphed over American fourth seed Ben Shelton with a score of 6-2, 7-5.
