Anna Kalinskaya: in Washington comes the'saddest hour

Anna Kalinskaya experiences one of the saddest hours of her career in Washington, after the smiles and hopes of the past few days. In fact, the final of the WTA tournament played on the cement of the U.S. capital goes to Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez, who prevails in two sets with a score of 6-1, 6-2 and wins the title after just one’hour and ten of play.

For Kalinskaya, the match goes uphill after an even start against her opponent. Indeed: the Russian came close to overtaking her in the third game, when she had two chances to hit a break that Fernandez canceled, holding serve after an impressive 14 points. The break comes in the next game, and it will not be the’last. The Canadian in fact takes as many as five consecutive games without allowing her opponent any breathing room.

Kalinskaya’s attempts to rebalance the match also lasted just two games in the second set. Indeed, in the third comes a new break by Fernandez, which leaves the Russian with only one point on the scoreboard. Already two games later comes another break, with no further retort possible. The’eighth game is the one of victory, achieved on the third match point.

A bitter defeat for Anna Kalinskaya, who was able to hit the final in Washington after a splendid victory over the always fearsome Emma Raducanu feted directly on the court with her beloved dog Bella. The same ritual had characterized the previous challenge with Dane Clara Tauson.