Kalinskaya meets Fernandez, De Minaur faces Spaniard in DC finals

AFP | Washington

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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 yesterday’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.

I t 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 hour sand 12 minute s to reach yesterday’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.”

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 13thranked 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.