In a stunning upset, qualifier Anna Kalinskaya defeated World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday.
Swiatek blamed fatigue for her semifinal defeat to Kalinskaya, admitting: “I didn’t have power anymore” to up her level during the match. “I didn’t have power anymore to give even more, which doesn’t happen often,” admitted 22-year-old Swiatek.
The unseeded Russian took one hour and 42 minutes to beat top-ranked Pole 6-4, 6-4, and halted her opponents’ seven-match winning streak.
She will meet Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who battled from the brink to beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 7-6(6) in another semi-final. Both Kalinskaya and Paolini have defied expectations throughout the tournament, and the final promises to be a thrilling battle for the title.
Swiatek held the upper hand early, surging to a 4-2 lead. But cracks began to show, with unforced errors handing Kalinskaya the momentum. Memories of Gauff’s defeat loomed large as Swiatek faced a match point down 40-15.