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World No 1 Iga Swiatek saw her seven-match winning streak snapped by qualifier Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday.
Kalinskaya earned her third win over a top-10 player wins in as many days, having already knocked out Jelena Ostapenko and Coco Gauff, with a straight-sets victory over tournament favourite Swiatek.
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From 2-4 down, Kalinskaya reeled off four games to clinch the opening set and with the top seed venting her frustration at the start of the next.
Kalinskaya, the world No 40, squandered two match points at 5-2 with the four-time Grand Slam champion breaking before holding.
But Australian Open quarter-finalist Kalinskaya held her nerve to continue her incredible run to reach the Dubai final.
“She’s a great player,” Kalinskaya said after her upset win. “I know if I don’t stay calm and aggressive she’s gonna destroy me.
“That was the plan. To stay aggressive… move her a lot. She’s unbelievable. I’m happy I had the chance to play against her. I’m sure we’ll play a lot in the future.”
Jasmine Paolini reached the first WTA 1000 final of her career on Friday
She will next face Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s final after the Italian staved off six set points to reach the first WTA 1000 final of her career with a 6-2 7-6 (8-6) victory against Sorana Cirstea.
Paolini, the world No 26, booked her spot in her first WTA Tour final since Monastir last October and first above WTA 250 level.
“I gave you a little bit of drama at the end,” said Paolini, who held her first match point at 5-4 in the second set, and saved five of the six set points she faced before converting her second match point in the tie-break.
The 28-year-old becomes the fifth Italian woman to reach a final at WTA 1000 level or over, following Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Camila Giorgi.
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Highlights of Jasmine Paolini’s victory against Sorana Cirstea
Kalinskaya and Paolini have split their two previous meetings, and they’ll be playing for the second time in four weeks after the 25-year-old Russian won their fourth-round encounter at the Australian Open.
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