Anna Kalinskaya vs Elina Svitolina

WTA Montreal Preview: Anna Kalinskaya vs Elina Svitolina

🧠 Form & Context

Anna Kalinskaya

• 🥊 Fighting spirit: Dropped sets 0–6 and 1–6 in her first two rounds but fought back to defeat Ann Li and Elise Mertens in three sets—showing tenacity under pressure.
• 🏆 Capital runner-up carry-over: Reached the final in Washington, indicating her capability to make deep runs at WTA 500 level.
• ⚖️ Mixed hard-court form: 7–7 on hard in 2025. Blends powerful, flat groundstrokes with sharp angles, but prone to inconsistency during longer exchanges.

Elina Svitolina

• 🔥 Comeback season: A stellar 33–11 record in 2025 marks her best season since returning from maternity leave. Titles in Rouen and a QF run at the Australian Open highlight her momentum.
• 💪 Clinic vs. Rakhimova: Took control after nearly letting a 5–1 lead slip, closing out 7–5, 6–2 with calm execution in pressure moments.
• 🎯 Tactical maestro: Known for her excellent court sense—switches up pace, throws in drop shots, and wears opponents down in rallies with her fitness and consistency.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Kalinskaya brings high-octane baseline power, but she’ll be tested by Svitolina’s variety and defensive skillset. The Ukrainian is a master of absorbing pace and redirecting with precision—traits that often frustrate flat hitters like Kalinskaya.

On serve, Kalinskaya must maintain a high first-serve percentage to avoid Svitolina stepping in on second serves. Meanwhile, Svitolina’s directional placement and slices will disrupt Kalinskaya’s timing and court positioning.

Fitness and experience tip the scale late. Kalinskaya has played a lot of tennis recently and tends to drop intensity in set threes. Svitolina, by contrast, thrives in long matches and knows how to control tight scorelines.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Elina Svitolina in 2 sets (6–4, 6–3) – Kalinskaya has the firepower to challenge, but Svitolina’s composure, rally tolerance, and tactical flexibility should carry her through in two tight sets.