Berlin Ladies Open final preview: Anna Kalinskaya faces tough test of Jessica Pegula

The Berlin Ladies Open 2024 will conclude on Sunday with a grand finale between Jessica Pegula and Anna Kalinskaya, who are from America. Both players secured their spot in the final after a tough challenge in the last four contests. On Saturday, Kalinskaya defeated former world number one Victoria Azarenka in the semifinal by scores of 6-1, 6-7, 6-1.

The contest winner converted five break points in the match, four more than the former world number one. Kalinskaya also won 64.9 percent service points in the match, considerably higher than Azarenka who won just 56 percent of points while serving.

On the other hand, Pegula booked her place in the grand finale after beating America’s young sensation Coco Gauff in the semifinal with a score of 7-5, 7-6. The game was suspended due to bad light on Saturday and was eventually completed on Sunday morning. Pegula was more decisive at crucial moments which helped her overcome the reigning US Open champion in straight sets. She converted three break points and won 65.4 percent service points as well.

It will be only the second meeting between the two players on a tennis court. In the previous meeting, which was back in 2019 in the semifinal of the Citi Open in Washington, it was Pegula who came out on top with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

It will be the first appearance in the final of any event in 2024 for Pegula. Her best appearance before the Berlin Ladies Open was in the semifinal of the Adelaide International and Cymbiotika San Diego Open. On both occasions, she ended up losing to Russia’s Daria Kasatkina and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

On the other hand, it will be the second final for Kalinskaya in 2024. Her previous outing in the final of a WTA event this year came in Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships where she lost to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.