Veronika Kudermetova vs Anhelina Kalinina will take place in the semi-final of the 2023 Italian Open on May 19.
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Despite having a double break lead in the final set, Veronika Kudermetova was just two points away from being broken back to even. The 11th seed maintained her composure and defeated rising star Zheng Qinwen, the world’s No. 21, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in two and a half hours under the lights to advance to her second WTA 1000 semifinal of her career in as many weeks. She recently made her first WTA 1000 semifinal appearance in Madrid after advancing through four three-set matches; Iga Swiatek was the one to deny her a spot in the Spanish final. Her overall semifinal win-loss record is a worrying 3-11, and she has failed to advance past the final four in each of her last seven appearances.
The late-night match between Anhelina Kalinina and Beatriz Haddad Maia on Tuesday is now the longest WTA match of the year at three hours and 41 minutes. It was one of the most exciting matches this season. She dropped the first set after leading 4-0, but came back to win the third set 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 after falling behind 0-3. The world No. 47 may be aware that Elina Svitolina, the tournament’s 2017 and 2018 champion, won every other time a Ukrainian player reached the semifinals. After making her top 100 debut just a few years ago, she is now aiming for a new career high ranking, perhaps inside the top 25.
| Veronika Kudermetova vs Anhelina Kalinina | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | May 19, 2023 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Tournament | Italian Open |
| Stage | Semi-final |
| Time (India) | 7 pm |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Qinwen Zheng | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 (W) |
| Marie Bouzkova | 6-2, 6-2 (W) |
| Anastasia Potapova | 5-7, 6-3, 1-6 (W) |
| Nuria Parrizas-Diaz | 7-5, 6-2 (W) |
| Iga Swiatek | 6-1, 6-1 (L) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Beatriz Haddad-Maia | 7-6, 6-7, 3-6 (W) |
| Madison Keys | 6-2, 2-6, 4-6 (W) |
| Sofia Kenin | 6-4, 6-2 (W) |
| Anna Blinkova | 6-2, 6-2 (W) |
| Mayar Sherif | 6-2, 7-6 (L) |
1-1. Anhelina Kalinina prevailed 7-5 in the decisive set during their lone official clay-court match, which took place at a junior tournament in Berlin in 2012. They have twice faced off against each other in the opening rounds of WTA events on hard courts. Both matches went the distance, with the Russian triumphing in Linz in 2021 and the Ukrainian in Dubai this year.
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anhelina Kalinina will take place in the semi-final of the 2023 Italian Open on May 19.
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