Paolini wins Dubai to secure first WTA 1000 title
ITALIAN 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini came from a set down to defeat Anna Kalinskaya overnight and lock in the highest level title of her career – just her second overall – by ending the run of the Russian qualifier, 4-6 7-5 7-5 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Both players had taken some big scalps throughout the tournament, with Paolini knocking out Maria Sakkari, while Kalinskaya took down Iga Swiatek to become the first qualifier in four years to defeat the world number one, and only the second qualifier in WTA Tour history to reach a WTA 1000 final.
Unfortunately for the Russian, she could not take the next step despite winning the first set, with the determined Italian continuing her great form to win in two hours and 13 minutes. It was a battle for the ages with Kalinskaya going up a break in each of the second and third sets, but Paolini levelled back on serve each time before breaking just before respective tiebreakers and taking out both sets.
Paolini won 60 and 55 per cent of her first and second serve points, as both her and Kalinskaya struggled to hold serve throughout the contest. She broke her opponent seven times from nine chances, while Kalinskaya collected six breaks of serve from eight opportunities. It continually opened the door to get one-up on the other if they could hold serve, but only a combined 21 of the 34 games were service holds.
The final marked Paolini’s fourth in her WTA Tour career, with the 28-year-old winning her maiden title in 2021 at Portoroz, a 250 event, before going down in three similar events across the last 18 months in Romania, Tunisia and her home tournament at Palermo. This time though in Dubai, Kalinskaya would step up to produce a memorable win, with the world number 26 set to surpass her career-best ranking on Monday.
“I’m really happy how I managed to come back,” Paolini said post-match. “It’s unbelievable. I don’t know. I’m just so happy.
“It’s special to have this trophy in my hands. “Was such a great tournament. Every player was here. Yeah, was really, really tough draw. I’m just happy.”
Paolini will rise up to world number 14 with the title, boosting her ranking by 12 spots. Kalinskaya will also receive a significant boost, with the world number 40 shooting past her previous career best of 38th up to 24th in the world. She will be the fifth highest ranked Russian on Tour.
Paolini wins Dubai to secure first WTA 1000 title
ITALIAN 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini came from a set down to defeat Anna Kalinskaya overnight and lock in the highest level title of her career – just her second overall – by ending the run of the Russian qualifier, 4-6 7-5 7-5 at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Both players had taken some big scalps throughout the […]
Kalinskaya slays Swiatek to reach Dubai decider
BECOMING just the second qualifier in history to make a WTA 1000 final, Russian Anna Kalinskaya is on cloud nine. The world number 40 was top seed in the qualifying draw at the Dubai Tennis Championships, and has now won seven matches in a row over the past week to reach the decider, with the […]
Cirstea epic comeback leaves crowd stunned
THERE are comebacks, and then there is whatever Sorana Cirstea managed to do against seventh seeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Vondrousova had a match point in the second set, and would go on to squander six match points across the course of that set, only for Cirstea […]
Gauff ends unbeaten Pliskova run to reach Dubai quarters
YOUNG gun Coco Gauff overcame a frustrating moment with the chairperson and a set down against an in-form Karolina Pliskova to come from behind and win in three sets to advance to the quarter finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The third seed won 2-6 6-4 6-3 in an epic contest to bounce back from […]
Vekic stuns Sabalenka in Dubai shock
IT was the result few would have seen coming. Croatian Donna Vekic came from behind to upset world number two Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, 6-7 6-3 6-0 to advance through to the Round of 16 at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The win itself was an accomplishment, but the manner of which it was done […]
WTA Tour wrap: Muguruza claims eighth title with Dubai success
TWO-TIME Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza has added more silverware to her cabinet, claiming victory in the 2021 WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships overnight. The Spaniard defeated Junior and WTA Tour Grand Slam doubles winner Barbora Krejcikova in the final, with a tight 7-6 6-3 victory. It was Muguruza’s first title in four years after […]
WTA Tour wrap: Muguruza to face second-time finalist Krejcikova in Dubai decider
EXPERIENCED WTA Tour campaigner, Garbine Muguruza will look to secure her eighth singles title of her career when she faces up against traditional doubles-specialist Barbora Krejcikova in the Dubai 1000 final tonight. The world number 16 and former world number one defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens in an all-seeded battle, while Krejcikova knocked off Switzerland’s Jil […]
WTA Tour wrap: Muguruza and Mertens fight back for semi spots
GARBINE Muguruza and Elise Mertens have found a way to win in their respective quarter finals at the 2021 WTA Tour’s Dubai 1000 event after going down a set before grinding out a three-set victory. Both seeds were up against red-hot in-form players in Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula respectively, but despite losing the opening […]
WTA Tour wrap: Pegula smashes Pliskova on her way to final eight
RED-HOT Jessica Pegula is knocking down the door of the Top 30 during the 2021 WTA Dubai Tennis Championships, and her form suggests it could be a lot higher given her dominant 6-0 6-2 demolition job on second seed Karolina Pliskova, her second victory in as many weeks over the Czech. In 2021, Pegula is […]
