Anna Kalinskaya 🇷🇺 vs Ann Li 🇺🇸

🎾 Anna Kalinskaya 🇷🇺 vs Ann Li 🇺🇸 – WTA Montreal R2 Preview

📅 National Bank Open · Outdoor Hard · Wednesday, July 31

🧠 Form & Context

Anna Kalinskaya (WTA #31)

• 🚀 Washington revival: Reached the D.C. final last week with dominant wins over Raducanu, Tauson, and Linette before falling to Fernandez (6–1, 6–2).
• 📉 Up-and-down season: Slipped from #14 to #48 in the rankings by July, with only sporadic deep runs (Doha QF, Charleston QF).
• 🎾 Hard-court rebound: Just 5–7 on hard courts before D.C., but her recent form indicates a return to her aggressive baseline best.

Ann Li (WTA #59)

• ⏳ Gradual rebuild: Posted a QF run in Prague after a modest grass swing (2–3), continuing her quiet resurgence.
• 🎯 Hard-working grinder: Made three W100 finals last year; looking to crack the WTA top 50 again in 2025.
• 💥 H2H edge: Leads 1–0 after Kalinskaya retired in the Singapore SF, giving her a small psychological advantage.

🔍 Match Breakdown

• Style clash: Kalinskaya’s game revolves around flat, early-strike hitting and aggressive return positions; Li’s court coverage and counterpunching could test that pace.
• Serve pressure: Li’s compact delivery will need to stay consistent under Kalinskaya’s a