Kalinskaya upsets Paolini at the Australian Open! The unheralded Russian, fueled by a blistering forehand, stormed into her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a decisive win over the No. 26 seed.
Ice in her veins and fire in her forehand, Anna Kalinskaya kept a cool head and controlled aggression against Jasmine Paolini. Landing a whopping 70% of her first serves, she unleashed 20 winners compared to just 13 unforced errors, displaying her masterful counterpunching skills.
As the second set approached its climax, Kalinskaya faced a potentially game-changing point down a double break. Paolini seemingly dominated the baseline rally, but the unseeded Russian wasn’t done yet. With a flick of her wrist and a glint of steel in her eyes, Kalinskaya ripped a laser-like forehand pass down the line, silencing the crowd and snatching a crucial 5-2 lead. This electrifying moment, a testament to her fighting spirit and pinpoint precision, became a turning point in her dominant victory.
For the first time this fortnight, she joins Marta Kostyuk, Linda Noskova, and Dayana Yastremska as players who have secured their spots in the final eight of a major.
Kalinskaya Defies Seedings, Reaches Maiden Grand Slam Quarterfinal!
Kalinskaya, a former Top 3 junior and decorated doubles champion (Melbourne 2016), carried the weight of 13 Grand Slam main draw exits at Round 2 into this Australian Open. Notably, she had never tasted victory at this tournament, only reaching the second round at the US Open in previous attempts.
Kalinskaya had to overcome a major setback in the previous year as well. She was about to make her debut appearance in the Top 50 when she had a leg injury in Rome that kept her out of the race for three months, including Wimbledon and Roland Garros.
But in recent months, she’s been on the upswing. By the end of 2023, Kalinskaya had advanced to her first WTA 125 final in Tampico and had won her first WTA 125 title in Midland. In Adelaide two weeks ago, she defeated Barbora Krejcikova for the ninth time in her career in the Top 20. She won her opening match against Paolini at the second try after overcoming Katie Volynets and Sloane Stephens in two three-setters in Melbourne’s first week. At this point, Kalinskaya has triumphed in 17 of her last 20 games overall.
Though she is currently ranked No.75, down from a career high of No.51 in October 2022, she is now guaranteed to finally make her Top 50 debut after the Australian Open.
“It felt amazing to pass two rounds in a Grand Slam, but to win so many matches is something special for sure,” Kalinskaya said in her on-court interview. “I had a tough first three rounds, so I can’t be nervous any more.”
Asked what she would have said if told ahead of the tournament that she would make the quarterfinals, Kalinskaya was coolly confident.
“I would believe it,” she replied. “I believe in myself.”
Kalinskaya will next face No.12 seed Zheng Qinwen, who defeated Oceane Dodin 6-0, 6-3. In her only previous meeting with the Chinese player, Kalinskaya won 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of Guadalajara 2022.
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