Emma Raducanu was outclassed by Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-3 in the Washington Open semi-finals, ending her run in the tournament. The Briton dropped her first set of the competition after a strong start from both players, with Kalinskaya securing the first break to lead 5-4 and serving out the opening set.
In the second set, the two exchanged early breaks before the Russian pulled ahead once more, taking a decisive lead and breaking again to seal the win. Kalinskaya will now face Leylah Fernandez in Sunday's final, denying fans a rematch of the 2021 US Open final between Raducanu and Fernandez.
World No 48 Kalinskaya said: '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.' Of Fernandez, she added: 'She is such a fighter, she plays incredibly and never gives up. I played a tough battle against her a while ago. Tomorrow, I think it’s going to be the same, and I’m excited.'
Earlier, Fernandez came from a set down to shock third seed Elena Rybakina 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 7-6(3) in a marathon battle lasting three hours and 12 minutes. Rybakina edged the first set tiebreak, but Fernandez rallied to take the second and third tiebreaks, reaching her first final of the season.
