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Kalinskaya won 10 of the final 14 games and
overcame five aces by Swiatek to dispatch the Poland native in
one hour, 41 minutes.
The 25-year-old Kalinskaya will join Italian Jasmine Paolini in
vying for their first WTA 1000 title when the two meet on
Saturday. Paolini posted a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over Sorana Cirstea
of Romania on Friday in one hour, 57 minutes.
Kalinskaya and Paolini each hold a victory over the other, with
the former recording a 6-4, 6-2 win over the latter in the
fourth round of the Australian Open on Jan. 22.
Kalinskaya has enjoyed a week to remember, including winning two
matches in qualifying just to reach the main draw. She later
toppled Top 10 players Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the third
round and Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals before besting Swiatek
in the semis.
"She's a great player. I know if I don't stay calm and
aggressive she's going to destroy me," Kalinskaya said in her
on-court interview about Swiatek.
"That was my plan. To stay aggressive, move her a lot. I'm happy
I won. 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."
As for Paolini, she saved six set points en route to ousting
Cirstea of Romania in one hour, 57 minutes.
"I gave you a little bit of drama at the end of the match,"
Paolini said.
Paolini, 28, is one win shy of her second WTA title, with the
first coming at Portoroz, Slovenia, in 2021.
--Field Level Media
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