Anna Kalinskaya struggled a bit to close out the match against qualifier Simona Waltert but ultimately avoided any big drama and completed a 6-2 7-6 (3) win to progress into the Singapore Open quarterfinal.
Early in the first set, the top seed was in danger of losing her serve but she saved four break points in the second game before claiming breaks in the third and seventh games to seal the opener.
Up by a set, the Russian tennis star also collected an early second-set break in the third game.
But when the time came for Kalinskaya to serve out for the match at 5-4, she stunningly got broken to love as world No. 179 Waltert managed to force a tie-break.
However, the No. 1 seed didn’t panic and won four points in a row to open a 5-1 lead in the tie-break before realizing her first match point to get the job done in two sets.
Next up for the Russian at the WTA 250 tournament in Singapore will be 132nd-ranked Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who defeated Cristina Bucsa.
Kalinskaya gets her first two wins of 2025 in Singapore
After losing her first two matches of the season and missing the Australian Open due to an illness, the 26-year-old is getting some momentum in Singapore.
A day earlier, she registered her first win of the…
