Katarzyna Kawa has progressed to the semi-final of a WTA tournament after victory against Tamara Zidanšek. Maja Chwalińska also participated in the tournament. Two Polish players in the best eight of a 125-ranked tournament is a significant achievement.
Chwalińska’s Tournament Run Ends
Maja Chwalińska competed against Moyuka Uchijima. Uchijima had won the first tournament of the three on the Turkish Riviera. She opened the match strongly against the Polish player, taking a 2-1 lead.
Chwalińska changed the terms of the match, and her opponent adapted to them. This proved to be a mistake, as Uchijima lost the first set 2-6. Uchijima recovered to win the second set 6-3, and the third set proved to be critical. Chwalińska broke her opponent to lead 5-4 and serve for a place in the semi-final. However, she lost that game and the subsequent two, resulting in her elimination.
Kawa Breaks Losing Streak to Advance
Kawa was unseeded in the tournament. She had won two matches, including one against Mayar Sherif of Egypt. In the quarter-final, Kawa’s chances against Tamara Zidanšek were considered similar.
Zidanšek broke Kawa’s serve at the start of the match, but Kawa responded immediately. The Polish player began to play well from the baseline, dictating the tempo and disrupting her opponent. Towards the end of the first set, Zidanšek became nervous, and this frustration carried into the second set. She struggled, with simple shots landing outside the court or in the net. Kawa capitalised, taking the first set 6-1 and establishing a 3-0 lead in the second, seemingly on course for the semi-final.
With a two-break advantage, Kawa then lost her service game, and her game faltered. Suddenly, the score was 3-4, and Zidanšek was two points away from leading by a break. Despite windy conditions, both players began to make errors. The ninth game proved to be critical. Kawa had a break point, but Zidanšek gained an advantage with some good shots, only to then commit a double fault and hit a smash into the net. Kawa won that game and then the next, securing a 6-1, 6-4 victory after 76 minutes.
Semi-Final Showdown Awaits
Kawa will now compete against Anhelina Kalinina in the semi-final.
Kawa was close to this a year ago in Bogota, she reached the final, although she started the tournament from qualifying. She lost in the match for the title against Camila Osorio. She will lose these points from her tally in less than a month, so the fact that she has finally broken her series of defeats is all the more important. She had as many as seven of them.
The experienced player will fight for the final against Anhelina Kalinina on Saturday.