Coco Gauff secured a hard-fought victory over Anna Kalinskaya in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, prevailing 6-4, 6-4. The win avenges a previous upset loss to Kalinskaya in Dubai two years prior, a result that propelled the Russian player to her first WTA 1000 final.
The No. 3 seed Gauff faced a challenging match, needing to reach from behind in both sets against an opponent visibly hampered by a left leg injury. Kalinskaya received a medical timeout even as trailing 4-3 in the first set. Despite the setback, Kalinskaya demonstrated aggressive play, attempting to dictate points with powerful groundstrokes, but ultimately struggled with consistency, committing 45 unforced errors compared to 11 winners.
Gauff, returning to action after a first-round loss to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Doha, also experienced difficulties with her serve, recording 12 double faults and 33 unforced errors. However, she showcased strong defensive skills, highlighted by a notable sliced backhand winner, and consistently pressured Kalinskaya’s serve, which she won only 46% of the time.
“It wasn’t the prettiest one, but it was enough for today,” Gauff said after the match. “It was pretty windy. I was just trying to adjust — both of us were struggling with consistency on the court.”
Gauff described the victory as a “confidence boost” following recent losses, including a quarterfinal defeat to Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open. “Just trying to identify form again, which is tough,” she explained. “Obviously, Anna’s a tough opponent. She’s beaten some quality players, she beat me here a couple of years ago. I’m happy with how today went. Winning when you’re not playing your best is what I’m most proud of.”
In the next round, Gauff will face Elise Mertens, who advanced with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 14 seed Emma Navarro. Gauff holds a 4-0 head-to-head record against Mertens, including two victories on hard courts.
