Fernandez takes charge in Washington for top career win
The left-handed Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Canada who is ranked 36th, earned her fourth singles trophy - all have come at hard-court tournaments - and first at a WTA 500 event.
She came close to a Grand Slam championship as a teenager at the 2021 US Open, making it all the way to the final in New York before losing to Emma Raducanu.
There almost was a rematch in Washington, but Kalinskaya eliminated Raducanu in Saturday's semi-finals.
The 48th-ranked Kalinskaya had not dropped a set all week until Sunday's final.
However, she wasn't able to keep up with Fernandez, who saved the only two break points she faced while taking four of Kalinskaya's service games in a match that lasted 1 hour 10 minutes.
It was Fernandez's first title since winning in at the Hong Kong Open in October 2023.
She arrived in Washington with a losing record this season and hadn't won more than two matches at the same tournament since last November.
With a mix of baseline excellence and strong net play, Fernandez eliminated top-seeded Jessica Pegula, the US Open runner-up last year, and No.3 seed Elena Rybakina, Wimbledon champion in 2022, on the way to the final.
The win against Rybakina in Saturday's semi-finals took three tiebreakers and more than three hours to decide.
There was no such drama against Kalinskaya, a 26-year-old Russian who fell to 0-3 in tour-level finals. She lost to Jasmine Paolini in Dubai and to Pegula in Berlin last year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Maya Joint eliminated from Canadian Open by American McCartney Kessler
Australia's Maya Joint has pushed 28th seed McCartney Kessler to the limit before losing in three sets at the Canadian Open. The 19-year-old Aussie came flying out of the blocks in Montreal on Wednesday, local time, taking the first set, before the American bounced back strongly to claim the next two for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. Little separated the players throughout the match, which threw up 14 break points for each. Joint converted three of those chances, while her American opponent managed four breaks. Joint had been hoping to back up her first-round upset of local favourite Leylah Fernandez, the world No.24 who was fresh off claiming the biggest title of her career on Sunday, the Washington Open. Despite the loss, Joint has shown she is finding top form ahead of the year's final major, the US Open, which kicks off in New York on August 24. Joint is already a two-time WTA title winner this year and will be looking to start making a real impact at grand slam level. She reached the second round at Flushing Meadows in 2024, but is yet to progress past the first round of the other majors. Australia's only remaining competitor in the women's singles, 15th-seeded Daria Kasatkina, plays her third-round match against 24th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine on Thursday. In other second-round results on Wednesday, six-time grand slam champion Iga Swiatek was all business in a 6-3, 6-1 demolition of China's Guo Hanyu. The Polish superstar, seeded second in Montreal, is hot off her record-breaking win in the Wimbledon singles final, where she served up two "donuts" to American Amanda Anisimova. "I think I played a really solid match today," Swiatek said. "Playing the first match on hard court after a pretty long break from the surface is always tricky, so I'm happy that I just focused on myself, adjusted to the conditions and played well." American third seed and two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula remained on track for a title hat-trick by beating Maria Sakkari of Greece 7-5, 6-4. Four-time major champ Naomi Osaka of Japan upset 13th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to continue her impressive return to tennis after taking a maternity break. Sixth-seeded American Madison Keys was dominant over Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-1. AAP/AP
7NEWS
15 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Tennis player Matteo Gigante calls for video review after ball goes through the net during match at Canadian Open
Tennis fans have been left stunned by a bizarre moment when the ball went through the net during a second-round clash at the Canadian Open. Italian tennis player Matteo Gigante basically gave up on a point and called for a rare video review after believing opponent Gabriel Diallo's return went through the net. Gigante was trailing 0-3 in the first set and serving at deuce when the unusual incident unfolded. Diallo appeared to hit a regulation return that clipped the tape and Gigante continued the point before going for an all-or-nothing drop shot. Immediately after that shot hit the net, Gigante complained to the chair umpire that previous shot from his opponent and gone through the net. Normally, a player has to stop the point to call for a video review, but the umpire allowed it in this instance. And replays confirmed Diallo's return had somehow gone straight through net. The point was given to Gigante and while he went on to hold serve to get on the board, the Italian lost the match. 6-3 7-6(5). Fans were left confused by the bizarre point. 'How is that possible?' One fan asked. 'Well that's a new one to me lol,' another fan said. 'Never seen that before,' another said. 'Am I glitching or what this is kinda crazy lol' another said. 'That's great use of the video review!!!' another said. Meanwhile, Australia's Aleksander Vukic has pushed British No 2 Cameron Norrie through the Canadian Open exit door after coming out on top in a three-set battle. Norrie, 29, overcame a one-set deficit and a medical timeout to force a decider against the Australian world No.99 in their second-round clash in Toronto on Wednesday. But Norrie, who received a first-round bye, was unable to complete the comeback as his US Open preparations were dealt a blow by a 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 defeat in just over two hours. Vukic wrapped up the first set in 33 minutes after Norrie, the world No.39, had saved four break points but still dropped his opening service game. That proved to be the only break of serve across the opening two sets, with Wimbledon quarter-finalist Norrie ultimately levelling courtesy of a tie-break after requiring on-court treatment while leading 6-5 in the second set. Vukic survived two break points in game five of the final set, a pivotal moment compounded by Norrie immediately failing to hold. Vukic was one game from victory when a rain delay prolonged the match before returning to finish the job and set up a last-32 meeting with either American seventh seed Frances Tiafoe or Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki. Australian interest continues in Toronto with Alex de Minaur due to take on Argentina's Francisco Comesana and Christopher O'Connell facing Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, later in the evening.
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Perth Now
Joint effort comes up just short at Canadian Open
Australian teenage sensation Maya Joint has pushed 28th seed McCartney Kessler to the limit before losing in three sets at the Canadian Open. The 19-year-old Aussie came flying out of the blocks in Montreal on Wednesday (local time), taking the first set, before the American bounced back strongly to claim the next two for a 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory. Little separated the players throughout the match, which threw up 14 break points for each. Joint converted three of those chances, while her American opponent managed four breaks. Joint had been hoping to back up her first-round upset of local favourite Leylah Fernandez, the world No.24 who was fresh off claiming the biggest title of her career on Sunday, the Washington Open. Despite the loss, Joint has shown she is finding top form ahead of the year's final major, the US Open, which kicks off in New York on August 24. Joint is already a two-time WTA title winner this year and will be looking to start making a real impact at grand slam level. She reached the second round at Flushing Meadows in 2024, but is yet to progress past the first round of the other majors. Australia's only remaining competitor in the women's singles, 15th-seeded Daria Kasatkina, plays her third-round match against 24th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine on Thursday (local time). In other second-round results on Wednesday, six-time grand slam champion Iga Swiatek was all business in a 6-3 6-1 demolition of China's Guo Hanyu. The Polish superstar, seeded second in Montreal, is hot off her record-breaking win in the Wimbledon singles final, where she served up two "donuts" to American Amanda Anisimova. "I think I played a really solid match today," Swiatek said. "Playing the first match on hard court after a pretty long break from the surface is always tricky, so I'm happy that I just focused on myself, adjusted to the conditions and played well." American third seed and two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula remained on track for a title hat-trick by beating Maria Sakkari of Greece 7-5 6-4. Four-time major champ Naomi Osaka of Japan upset 13th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to continue her impressive return to tennis after taking a maternity break. And sixth-seeded American Madison Keys crushed Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-1. - with AP
