Magda Linette 🇵🇱 vs. Anna Kalinskaya 🇷🇺

🎾 WTA Washington 2025 – Round of 16 Preview

Magda Linette 🇵🇱 vs. Anna Kalinskaya 🇷🇺

📍 Washington, D.C. | 🗓️ July 24 | 🎾 Hard (Outdoor)

🧠 Form & Context

Magda Linette
🔄 Resilience returns: Came back from 1–4 down to defeat Danielle Collins 7–5, 6–4 in the opening round.
📉 Recent slump: Had lost in the first round in four of her last five tournaments before this week.
🔥 Proven on hard courts: Quarterfinalist in both Miami and Abu Dhabi earlier this season.
🇺🇸 D.C. comfort zone: Has fond memories from 2018, when she beat Naomi Osaka en route to the quarterfinals.
🧠 Veteran edge: At 33, still tactically sound and capable of winning close matches with her smart court positioning.

Anna Kalinskaya
💥 Strong start: Defeated Rakhimova 6–2, 6–3 with five breaks of serve and just one break conceded.
😕 Inconsistent form: Came into D.C. with a 10–13 record in 2025, including just 2 wins on hard courts.
🇺🇸 Past success here: Reached the semifinals in 2019 and the quarterfinals in 2022 in Washington.
🎯 Stop-start season: Injuries and withdrawals have stalled momentum, including a retirement in Singapore.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This match pits Linette’s reliability and experience against Kalinskaya’s shot-making and higher peak level. Linette’s smart backhand use and rally discipline could frustrate Kalinskaya, especially if the Russian’s first serve isn’t clicking. Kalinskaya has the firepower to hit through Linette, but doing so over the course of a full match—especially on a hot, outdoor hard court—requires a level of consistency she hasn’t shown in 2025.

Linette’s win over Collins showed she’s ready to battle and trust her game in key moments. If Kalinskaya starts hot, she could take the racquet out of Linette’s hands. But if rallies extend and the match turns physical, the edge tilts toward the Pole.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Linette in 3 sets — Her ability to manage momentum and stay solid from the baseline could prove decisive. Kalinskaya’s ceiling is higher, but Linette’s floor is more stable right now.