Emma Raducanu played some ‘outrageous’ tennis but it unfortunately wasn’t enough as she fell to defeat against Anna Kalinskaya. The 22-year-old, who will now regain her British number No.1 spot from Katie Boulter, paid the price for failing to convert four break-point opportunities in the first set.
She eventually went down 6-4 6-3, missing out on her first final since the 2021 US Open. Kalinskaya will now face Leylah Fernandez in Sunday’s final after the Canadian beat third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. However, Raducanu still came out of her loss with credit after producing some scintillating play.
At 3-3 in the first set, she ended one rally with a sublime forehand down the line which left her opponent rooted to the spot. The Tennis TV commentator lauded the moment, saying: “Oh it’s outrageous. Just tennis from another planet.”
The crowd rose in applause to the winner. Kalinskaya’s reaction also spoke volumes, raising her racket in acknowledgment before walking to the back of the court.
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However, Kalinskaya, ranked two places below Raducanu at 48th in the world, stemmed the tide and broke in the ninth game on her way to winning the first set. The two rivals exchanged early breaks in the second set before the Russian pulled ahead once more, taking a lead that proved decisive.
Afterwards, the 26-year-old admitted she had to dig in during Raducanu’s early onslaught, saying: “It was an interesting match. It’s nice to play against Emma. I’m proud of myself. I stayed aggressive and stuck to my plan.”
Raducanu will now turn her attention to the National Bank Open in Canada. In her opening match, she will face world No. 56 Elena-Gabriela Ruse, and is on a potential collision course with Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.
It is likely to be her last event before the US Open. Since her remarkable win at Flushing Meadows four years ago, she has not advanced past the first round there.
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