Kalinskaya joins Fernandez in the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington

After Leylah Fernandez's epic qualification against Elena Rybakina (6-7, 7-6, 7-6), it was time for the second semifinal of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington between Anna Kalinskaya and Emma Raducanu.

To reach the final four, the Russian defeated Rakhimova, Linette, and Tauson, while the Brit dominated Kostyuk, Osaka, and Sakkari. Both players came into this match with confidence.

Still searching for her first final on the main tour since her surprise triumph at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu was the favorite in this match against Kalinskaya, ranked 48th in the world and looking to rediscover her best form this season.

The two faced each other for the first time, with high stakes on the line. But in this match, it was the 2024 WTA 1000 Dubai finalist who managed her emotions best.

In a tightly contested first set, a single break was enough for the Russian, who took her opponent’s serve at the perfect moment, at 5-4. In control, the 26-year-old Kalinskaya confirmed her superiority in the second set, winning in straight sets (6-4, 6-3) against a player who hadn’t dropped a single one since the start of the week in the American capital.

Kalinskaya advances to the third final of her career on the main tour and will aim to claim her first WTA title. Narrowly defeated in the finals in Dubai in 2024 (7-5 in the third set by Paolini) and in Berlin the same year (7-6 in the third set by Pegula), the Russian will try to break the curse and etch her name into a tournament’s winner list.

The player who has yet to drop a single set in this Washington tournament will have to overcome the other 2021 US Open finalist, Leylah Fernandez, this Sunday.