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Anna Kalinskaya snapped Iga Swiatek’s seven-match winning streak and ended the world No 1’s bid for a rare Gulf title double with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory in the Dubai Open semi-finals yesterday.
The 40th-ranked Kalinskaya was contesting her first WTA 1000 semi-final, and is into the first tour-level final of her career, where she faces Italian Jasmine Paolini.
Kalinskaya defeated Paolini last month at the Australian Open to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final. They will square off once again today in another career-defining showdown.
Top seed Swiatek came into the semifinals having won 25 of her last 26 matches and looking to follow up her title run in Doha last week with a first-time triumph in Dubai. Kalinskaya had to battle through the qualifying rounds and has won seven matches in total this week in the emirate, including three top-10 victories over Jelena Ostapenko, Coco Gauff and now Swiatek. — SuperSport
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter