Washington (AFP) – Anna Kalinskaya prevented a rematch of the 2021 US Open final by ousting Britain’s Emma Raducanu, booking a berth against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in Sunday’s DC Open final. The 26-year-old Russian, seeking her first WTA title, downed Raducanu 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday’s Washington hard court semi-finals to reach her third career tour final. It denied what would have been the first meeting between Raducanu and Fernandez since they met as teen prodigies four years ago in the Flushing Meadows final, which Raducanu won 6-4, 6-3.
“I think for the both of us, it would be a tremendous result,” Fernandez said of the rematch. “We’ve come a long way from the 2021 US Open final.” Left-hander Fernandez rallied to defeat third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) after three hours and 12 minutes to reach Sunday’s final. “It was definitely a tough match. It was a battle from beginning to end,” Fernandez said. “In important moments I was able to pull through.”
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Fernandez won her only meeting with Kalinskaya, taking a first-round victory in 2021 at Guadalajara. “She’s a very fast player, so it’s going to be very intense rallies,” Kalinskaya said. “I just hope I’m going to play great and I want to enjoy it.” World number 36 Fernandez seeks her fourth career WTA title and first since the 2023 Hong Kong Open. Fernandez reached her seventh career WTA final and first since June 2024 at Eastbourne. Kalinskaya reached her only tour finals last year at Dubai and Berlin. Raducanu, ranked 46th, has not reached a WTA final since her Grand Slam breakthrough in New York.
The men’s final sends 13th-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur, who eliminated French lucky loser Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-3, against 26th-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who eliminated eighth-ranked American Ben Shelton 6-2, 7-5. De Minaur is 2-2 lifetime against the Spaniard, winning their most recent meeting in a 2023 Canada semi-final.
World number 12 Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, and Fernandez each surrendered only one break. Rybakina fired winners on the final four points of the first tie-break to claim the opening set after 53 minutes. Rybakina broke to open the second set. Fernandez fought back from 0-40 down to hold in the fifth game then broke Rybakina in the 10th to pull level at 5-5. “I wasn’t telling myself much in that moment,” Fernandez said. “Listen to my coach and execute. Don’t overthink too much.”
Fernandez jumped ahead 5-0 in the second tie-breaker and 4-0 in the third on her way to winning both, a far cry from leg cramp issues on Friday. “If I was going to get rolled out in a stretcher today, then so be it, but I was just going to give it my all,” Fernandez said. Kalinskaya broke Raducanu in the ninth game and held to take the first set in 53 minutes. World number 39 Kalinskaya fired a backhand cross-court winner to break in the opening game of the second set, but Raducanu broke back at love. Kalinskaya broke again for a 3-2 edge and held to the end, which came when Raducanu netted a forehand after 94 minutes.
On the men’s circuit, De Minaur, who lost the 2018 Washington final to Alexander Zverev, seeks his 10th ATP title. The Aussie broke for a 4-3 lead, took the first set in 57 minutes, then won the first 14 points of the second and cruised despite 33 unforced errors. “It wasn’t pretty tennis, but I knew it was going to be a tricky match without a lot of rhythm,” De Minaur said. “I had the mentality of doing whatever it took to get into the title match.” Davidovich Fokina took the first set in 27 minutes and captured the match in 80 as he pushes for a first ATP title, having lost February finals at Delray Beach and Acapulco.
© 2024 AFP
