Look: Jasmine Paolini beats Anna Kalinskaya to win Dubai tennis title
In the past 10 years, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships saw only two women’s singles finals go into a third set.
The final on Saturday produced a rare three-setter again in Dubai which ended with unseeded Italian Jasmine Paolini beating Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya 4-6 7-5 7-5.
The 28-year-old showed remarkable resilience to fight back from a set down in the final against Kalinskaya who was bidding to become the first qualifier to win the Dubai title.
“I am very happy, it was a very tough match. She played unbelievable tennis. I am happy, I managed to come back, it was really tough. I am very proud of myself,” Paolini said after recording the biggest win of her career.
“I had the belief I could win every match, it was tough, I was a break down (in the third set), but I managed to come back.”
Having lost the first set after a single break of serve, Paolini matched Kalinskaya shot for shot in the second set before taking the match into a decider.
The third set was a cagey affair with both players losing their serve in the first two games.
Then Kalinskaya looked set for a win when she broke the Italian again as she maintained her grip on the game.
The 25-year-old, who won seven matches in seven days, including two in qualifiers to reach the final, was serving for the championship at 5-4 in the second set.
But for a player who had stunned world number one Iga Swiatek in the semifinal, Kalinskaya failed to hold her nerve, making unforced errors, allowing her opponent to break back and stay alive.
Paolini then held her nerve and serve to go 6-5 as Kalinskaya, in a dramatic turn of fortunes, made unforced errors again as the Italian celebrated after the Russian hit a forehand long.
The great comeback win gave Paolini her first WTA 1000 title and ended qualifier Kalinskaya’s dream run in the tournament.
In the between the unforced errors, both players produced some great tennis, with some of the rallies bringing the packed stadium to their feet.
No pizza, please
The feisty Italian, who beat two seeded players to reach the final, loves her pizza.
But after scripting an unforgettable comeback win over a player who had beaten her in straight sets at the Australian Open fourth round last month, Paolini was in no mood to eat pizza.
“I don’t care about the pizza tonight. I am just so happy now to have this trophy in my hand,” she said.
That trophy could have been in Kalinskaya’s hand instead if she had managed to hold her nerve when she served for the championship at 5-4 in the decider.
But the Russian, whose giant-killing run ended the campaigns of Grand Slam winners Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Jelena Otsapenko in Dubai, was gracious in defeat.
“Thanks to the crowd here for the amazing support, I have never played so much tennis in one week. It was a pleasure playing in front of you. You made it very special and hopefully I will be back next year,” Kalinskaya said.
Hunter, Siniaková win doubles title
Meanwhile, Storm Hunter of Australia and Kateřina Siniaková of the Czech Republic won the doubles title with an easy 6-4, 6-2 win over Ellen Perez of Australia and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US.
The fourth seeded pair was too strong in the title decider against the third seeds as the match ended in straight sets.
The men’s tournament of the championships will get under way with defending champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia opening his campaign against Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan.
