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World No. 37 Anhelina Kalinina said she couldn't even think about the score toward the end of the match versus Emma Raducanu because the intensity and tension were so high. Kalinina is enjoying probably her best run as a pro as on Tuesday she upset world No.
11 Raducanu 6-2 2-6 6-4 to reach her first WTA1000 quarterfinal. Kalinina got off to a fast start, breaking Raducanu in the first and seventh games to easily win the first set. After easily winning the first set, Kalinina's level dropped in the second set as Raducanu earned three breaks to send the match into a decider.
In the third set, Kalinina claimed the first break of the set in the third game but Raducanu broke back in the sixth game. Blowing an early third set break didn't impact Kalinina, who broke Raducanu again in the ninth game and served out for the match in the following game.
Kalinina faced a break point when serving for the match but saved it.
Kalinina: I'm so happy to beat Raducanu
"Already in the end of the match, I was not thinking about the score, because the intensity was high," Kalinina said after her win, as quoted on the WTA Tour website.
"I’m just so happy that I could close the match, because it was crazy at the end, so many deciding points and so many rallies. Tough, tough match. Kalinina was handed a tough draw in Madrid but that didn't prevent her from making a deep run.
In Madrid, Kalinina beat three Grand Slam champions. In the first round, Kalinina defeated 2017 French Open champion Sloane Stephens. Then, Kalinina saw off two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza. After beating Stephens and Muguruza, Raducanu was the next Grand Slam champion Kalinina took down.
What makes it more impressive, Kalinina dropped just one set in those three matches played. Kalinina definitely deserved to reach the latter stages of Madrid because she beat several big names at Caja Magica.