Wimbledon – Clara Tauson vs Anna Kalinskaya
🧠 Form & Context
Clara Tauson
- 🌿 Grass milestone: Finally got her first main-draw Wimbledon win after three losses, rallying past Heather Watson in three sets.
- 🔥 Career-best year: Holds a 25–13 record in 2025, highlighted by a title in Auckland, a final in Dubai, and third rounds at both the Australian and French Opens.
- 💪 Mentally sharper: Saved all four break points in the last two sets of R1—a sign of improved composure under pressure.
- 📈 High ranking: Ranked inside the Top 25 and enjoying the most consistent form of her career.
Anna Kalinskaya
- 🧬 Grass upside: Reached Wimbledon R16 in 2024 and owns a 27–19 career grass record—impressive for a baseline-dominant player.
- 🔄 Shaky restart: Entered this event on a losing streak, having not won a match since May. Beat Stojanovic in R1, but it wasn’t flawless.
- 🩼 Injury history: Injuries have stalled her momentum in 2025, with missed events and mid-match retirements becoming common.
- 📉 Mixed season: Her 10–12 record this year pales in comparison to her 2024 surge, when she reached the Dubai final and entered the Top 15.
🔍 Match Breakdown
This matchup pits Kalinskaya’s past grass success against Tauson’s rising form and clean bill of health. While the Russian leads the H2H 1–0, that clay-court result from Rome 2024 feels increasingly irrelevant given their diverging trajectories.
Kalinskaya’s flatter groundstrokes and return stats are valuable on grass, but Tauson’s serve and willingness to play on the front foot give her control if she avoids drifting into passive stretches. Tauson has also proven more clutch in close sets and has picked up big wins over top-tier opposition in 2025.
Kalinskaya’s biggest challenge may be sustaining intensity—especially against a more physical player like Tauson, who is thriving in longer rallies and baseline exchanges this season.
🔮 Prediction
While Kalinskaya’s grass pedigree is legit, her form and fitness issues suggest she’s vulnerable. Tauson is dialed in and better equipped to handle the physical and mental swings of a three-set battle.
Pick:
Clara Tauson to win in three sets
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