Former Dubai champion Svitolina routs Kalinskaya in first round

By Canadian Press on February 16, 2025.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two-time former champion Elina Svitolina routed last year’s runner-up Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of the Dubai Championships on Sunday.

Kalinskaya came through qualifying and beat three top-10 players in a row — including a stunning upset win against No. 1 Iga Swiatek — to reach last year’s final.

But this time the Russian No. 15 seed’s tournament lasted a little more than one hour against Svitolina. The 30-year-old Ukrainian won 75 percent of points on her first serve and clinically converted six of her seven break points.

Svitolina won the WTA 1000 tournament in 2017 — the year she reached a career-best ranking of third — and in 2018.

She will face either Rebecca Sramkova or Clara Tauson in the second round.

Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu had a wild card entry and was playing Maria Sakkari later Sunday, with the winner facing 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova in the second round. ___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

The Associated Press

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