© Getty Images Sport – Christopher Pike
Anna Kalinskaya revealed she was telling herself to stay calm in every situation and aggressive in her shots or otherwise she would likely get “destroyed” by Iga Swiatek.
Kalinskaya, who won two qualifying matches to reach the Dubai main draw, stunned world No. 1 Swiatek on Friday 6-4 6-4 to reach her first WTA 1000 final. For 40th-ranked Kalinskaya, it was the biggest win of her career and she also snapped Swiatek’s seven-match winning streak and prevented the Pole from winning back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Doha and Dubai.
Throughout the entire match, Kalinskaya – who made the Australian Open quarterfinal earlier this year – was going for her shots and challenging Swiatek. Late in the match, Kalinskaya missed out on two match points when serving for the match at 5-2 but stayed calm and saved two break points in the 10th game before realizing her third match point to seal a big win over Swiatek. It was the first time that Kalinskaya, 25, and 22-year-old Swiatek played against each other.
Kalinskaya on her game plan against Swiatek
“Iga Swiatek’s a great player. I knew if I didn’t stay calm and aggressive she’s gonna destroy me,” Kalinskaya said…
