Welcome to Finals Weekend

FIGHT AND FEELS

The first singles semifinal will feature our No. 1 seed Anhelina Kalinina as she takes on the No. 6 seed Wang Xiyu. The two players took very different paths to get to the second meeting of their careers. For Kalinina, it is an understatement to say she survived a scare. Down a set and a break, the Ukrainian seemed all but out of contention. And then voila (aka persistence and belief). Anhelina found a way to break serve and with it, the momentum of the match, eventually winning 1-6 6-4 6-2. In the corresponding quarterfinal, Wang Xiyu took on Danielle Collins. Collins gave her best effort to push through an arthritic flare up, but the pain proved too much as the crowd favorite American – playing in her final season – conceded the match after dropping the first set. Yet out of that bitter scene, a sweet moment arose. Xiyu would not only win the match, she would also win over the Austin crowd with her tender tone and thoughtful words. She offered sincere words of condolence, wished Collins a speedy recovery and even comforted the fans reeling from disappointment. Needless to say, her sentiments were fully accepted and she was fondly embraced. Might that help her to a second straight win against a confident Kalinina today? Be in your seat early to find out who will punch her ticket to the final.

PRIVILEGE AND JOY

The second semifinal of the day will feature Anna Karolina Schmiedlova as the Slovak takes on Yuan Yue of China. Again, two players with very different paths to the semifinal. Schmiedlova faced a resurging Anastasija Sevastova who jumped out to a quick 6-4 2-1 lead before enduring a match-ending injury chasing down a ball. Schmiedlova admitted that the Latvian had the clear upper hand while also recognizing the privilege of being in her first semifinal in years. For Yue, it was two hours of intense competition against her fellow countrywoman, Wang Yafan, that would earn her the right to play for a spot in tomorrow’s final. Asked her thoughts on today’s match, she quickly begged for the opportunity to just be present and enjoy the moment. In summary, the evening semifinal will be a contest of privilege and joy. And we suspect that for the fans, watching it will feel like a combination of both.